At least 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died during the ten-year construction of the 2022-year-old Qatar 2022 World Cup facilities due to poor working conditions and lack of training, according to He Guardian. The shocking figure is probably severely underestimated because there are no figures available for migrant deaths by workers in Kenya or the Philippines.
A great deal of development work is underway, in addition to the conversion of Khalifa Stadium and the construction of seven additional World Cup stadiums, as well as a new airport, new hotels, new roads and public transport, and the construction of a whole new city. for the final celebrations of the World Cup.
Qatar’s human rights record has been under scrutiny since the nation won the bid to host the international event. Amnesty International released a poignant report accusing the rich country of lying to immigrants to lure them to work. Many workers paid large fees to hiring companies hired by the Qatari government to cover transportation and accommodation. Many of them could not afford the rates, so they were granted loans that they had to repay.
Once in Qatar, they are allegedly forced to live in harsh conditions and are often not paid in a timely manner or what they were promised. “Workers often live in cramped, dirty and unsafe accommodation,” Amnesty International reported. “Hiring agents also make false promises about the salary that workers will receive and the type of work that is offered. A worker was promised a salary of US $ 300 a month in Nepal, but it turned out to be US $ 190 once he started working in Qatar. “
Payments are also often delayed, leaving workers unable to return money home or repay the hiring-related loans they were often forced to take out.
He Guardian estimates that in the last ten years since Qatar won the bid to host the event, an average of 12 migrant workers from South Asian nations have died each week. This figure could be twice as high if records are published on other migrant deaths.
Many of the deaths are due to the fact that workers are poorly trained in work safety and in the extreme heat conditions of the Arab nation, but some have died in their sleeping areas. A 29-year-old Bangladeshi man named Mohammad Shahid Miah died when the water in his room came in contact with an exposed electric cable, electrocuting him, according to the Guardian.
Amnesty International also reports that all migrant workers interviewed had their identity documents withdrawn on arrival and their residence permit was not renewed, meaning they cannot leave the country. Workers are also prohibited from changing jobs, which causes them to comply with signed contracts without legal advice.
The average monthly salary of those working to turn Khalifa Stadium into games is $ 220, according to Amnesty International, while the main subcontractor is paying more than $ 35 million.
Qatar’s Supreme Commitment and Legacy Committee (SC) and FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month with Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee to raise awareness of human rights in the delivery of the World Cup. “The SC has worked tirelessly to protect the health, safety and well-being of all workers involved in the Qatar 2022 project. We are proud of our achievements over the past ten years and firmly believe that our actions have created a turning point. reference for excellence, not only in Qatar, but in the entire region and around the world, “said Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Court. Committee for Delivery and Legacy, he said.
The World Cup will be held from November 21 to December 18, 2022 and 32 teams will compete in eight stadiums.