According to an investigation carried out by the UK newspaper The Guardian, more than 6,500 migrant workers have died during the construction of world cup stadia in Qatar. The majority of the workers are from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka who have been shipped in to assist in the vast construction projects for the competition, due to be held in the Middle-Eastern state in 2022.
In total, this means that 12 migrant workers have died each and every week since the project began in 2011. Many workers have been killed as a result from falls and other accidents on construction sites, suggesting that health & safety measures are extraordinarily poor. However, it is believed that in many cases, it is the heat of Qatar that has killed many of the workers via heat-stroke and dehydration. During the summer months, temperatures in the state can exceed 50 degrees centigrade.
The work has not only involved the construction of stadia but also other infrastructure being built to host the competition, including new roads, an airport and residences.
Nick McGeehan, a worker's rights activist, said:
"A very significant proportion of the migrant workers who have died since 2011 were only in the country because Qatar won the right to host the World Cup."
The migrant workers are imported to Qatar as a result of the cheapness of their labour. The workers are also said to live in cramped conditions, with evidence suggesting that dozens of individuals often live together in cramped and unsanitary conditions. Suicides are common among the migrant workers.
The Qatari government has rejected the accusation that it does not properly protect migrant workers. It said in a statement that the deaths were natural and to be expected:
"The mortality rate among these communities is within the expected range for the size and demographics of the population. However, every lost life is a tragedy, and no effort is spared in trying to prevent every death in our country."
Football's world governing body, FIFA, also backed up the Qatari government's assertions. The organisation said:
"We deeply regret all of these tragedies and investigated each incident to ensure lessons were learned. We have always maintained transparency around this issue and dispute inaccurate claims around the number of workers who have died on our projects."
FIFA has long been accused of corruption and some have suggested that Qatar was awarded the 2022 competition as a result of bribery. Qatar is a small state of only 2 million people and has almost no history in international football. It will also be the first world cup competition that will be played in summer-time in order to avoid the extraordinary summer temperatures. Human-rights organisations have also criticised FIFA for awarding the competition to a country with such a dismal human-rights record and attitude towards minorities, such as the LGBTQ community. Homosexuality in Qatar is punishable by up to 3 years in prison, however Muslims caught in homosexual acts could face the death-penalty.
[h/t: The Guardian]
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