At least 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died during the 10-year construction of the 2022 World Cup facilities in Qatar due to poor working conditions and a lack of training, said The GuardianThe shocking figure is probably grossly underestimated because no figures are available on the deaths of migrants by workers from Kenya or the Philippines.
In addition to the renovation of the Khalifa stadium and the construction of seven additional stadiums at World Cup level, massive development work is underway, as well as a new airport, new hotels, new roads and public transport, and a whole new city is just being built. for the World Cup Final.
Qatar’s human rights record has been the subject of investigation since the nation won the bid to host the international event. Amnesty International released a damning report accusing the rich country of lying to migrants to entice them to come to work. Many workers paid hefty fees to recruitment agencies hired by the government of Qatar for transportation and housing. Many of them could not afford the fees, so they got loans that they had to pay back.
Once in Qatar, they are reportedly forced to live in dire conditions and are often not paid on time or what they have been promised. “Employees often live in cramped, dirty and unsafe accommodations,” Amnesty International reported. “Recruiting agents also make false promises about the salary employees will receive and the type of job offered. An employee was promised a salary of $ 300 a month in Nepal, but this turned out to be $ 190 when he started working in Qatar. “
Payments are also often delayed, preventing employees from sending money home or making payments for recruitment-related loans that they often had to take out.
The Guardian estimates that in the past 10 years since Qatar won the bid to host the event, an average of 12 migrant workers from the South Asian countries have died every week. That figure could be twice as high if data on other deaths from migrants are released.
Many of the deaths are due to workers poorly trained in safety on the construction site and the extreme heat of the Arab nation, but some died in their sleeping areas. A 29-year-old Bengali man named Mohammad Shahid Miah died when flood water in his room came into contact with an exposed power cable, electrocuting him. Guardian
Amnesty International also reports that all migrant workers they interviewed were deprived of their identity documents upon arrival and were not issued an extended residence permit, meaning they cannot leave the country. Workers are also prohibited from changing jobs, thus sticking to contracts signed without legal advice.
The average monthly salary of those working to convert Khalifa Stadium for the games is $ 220, according to Amnesty International, while the main subcontractor is being paid more than $ 35 million.
Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Qatari National Human Rights Committee earlier this month to raise awareness of human rights issues in the delivery of the World Cup. “The SC has worked tirelessly to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of all employees involved in the Qatar 2022 project. We are proud of our achievements over the past 10 years and believe that our actions have created a measure of excellence – not just in Qatar, but across the region and around the world, ”Hassan al-Thawadi, Secretary- general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said.
The World Cup will be held from November 21 to December 18, 2022, with 32 teams competing in eight stadiums.