5/5 Taukir A. 5 years ago on Google
The
new
Asian
Town
mall
was
designed
to
cater
to
Qatar’s
roughly
2
million
migrant
workers
–
but
critics
say
it
is
simply
a
way
to
segregate
them,Welcome
to
Asian
Town,
an
entertainment
and
shopping
venue
in
the
heart
of
the
largest
labour
camp
in
Qatar,
on
the
outskirts
of
the
capital,
Doha.
Each
day,
thousands
of
young
men
gather
here
from
the
workers’
dormitories
that
stretch
out
into
the
desert
for
miles
around,
to
enjoy
mutton
curries,
Bollywood
films
or
just
a
sanctuary
from
the
searing
heat.
When
I
came
here
in
2008,
there
was
nothing
but
construction
on
all
sides.
After
work
we
used
to
sit
in
the
camps
not
knowing
what
to
do,”
said
Dan
Bersamin,
a
35-year-old
plumber
from
the
Philippines.
“Now
Asian
Town
has
given
us
some
entertainment.”
Most
effective
way
to
build
a
Asian
community
in
Qatar,
has
almost
every
service
there.
This
is
the
cheapest
place
to
shop
in
Qatar,”
said
Ahmed
Refaat,
the
marketing
manager
of
Asian
Town.
“The
events
and
entertainment
are
all
for
free.
The
workers
are
so
satisfied
and
happy.”
Others,
however,
see
these
developments
not
as
a
genuine
attempt
to
improve
the
treatment
of
migrant
workers
–
which
has
attracted
international
condemnation
–
but
part
of
a
deliberate
strategy
to
isolate
them.
“Asian
Town
is
a
popular
facility
with
lots
of
entertainment
and
shopping
options
for
people
living
in
the
area,”
said
Shabina
Khatri,
former
editor
of
Doha
News.
“But
such
developments
are
also
a
step
closer
to
segregating
Qatar’s
migrant
worker
population
from
the
rest
of
the
community
Helps
to
feel
like
back
in
own
country
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