Migrant workers in Qatar’s construction sector are being abused according to Amnesty International’s latest report in relation to the development of the Fifa World Cup 2022 Stadiums.
Qatar had won the bid against other countries for hosting the Fifa World Cup in 2022 amid gross debate among officials regarding the weather conditions in the country during the time. Qatar’s government had hired contractors to begin construction of the stadiums.
According to Amnesty International, a manger in one construction company referred to the migrant workers as animals. Amnesty International interviewed around 210 workers, employers and government officials. Its report, The Dark Side of Migration, talks about the hardships of Nepalese and other migrant workers who are being mistreated by their managers.
The report said that some of the employees mentioned that they were “treated like cattle”, made to work 12 hours without a day’s rest going on seven days, even on Qatar’s hot summers. They were threatened with penalty fines, deportation, reduced income and even being unpaid.
The workers said that they were not even paid for some of the tasks they’ve finished.
Amensty International’s report highlights that the mortality rate of the construction project was very “significant” and that it was inexcusable for a rich country. The alarming rate of exploitation was unacceptable.
Fifa Officials said that the treatment of Qatar of its construction workers was inexcusable given the modern health and safety practices in the construction industry.