Tribune. In just under 500 days, the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar. It will be the first time that the flagship football event has taken place in an Arab country and the Middle East, and therefore an opportunity to dispel recurring stereotypes and misconceptions about the region. It will also be an opportunity to promote cultural exchanges and bring a message of hope and unity to our turbulent region.
While for millions of people the World Cup in Qatar will be a cause for celebration as the world emerges from the clutches of the Covid-19 pandemic, this vision is not unanimous. For some, Qatar is not a deserving host, with criticism focusing on the important issue of workers’ rights. It was therefore not surprising to see a column appearing on June 26 in The world criticizing working conditions in Qatar “Football World Cup 2022:” We should not have to count the deaths caused by the sites of a World Cup “”
Written by a collective of civil society activists, as well as by politicians and association leaders, this column is marked by inaccuracies and distortions, refusing to recognize the positive impact of labor reforms in Qatar for hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers and their families.
“Three deaths linked to work on construction sites”
Qatar has never shied away from criticism when it was well founded, and we have repeatedly recognized our shortcomings and areas that need improvement. The labor reforms in Qatar are long-lasting and are the fruit of an unwavering desire for change that already existed long before the award of the World Cup.
We stand firm in the face of criticism, and when an article misleads readers and ignores the realities on the ground, it is our responsibility to respond with the facts. If the authors of the forum were serious about understanding the truth, a quick online consultation would reveal the many occasions on which our government has responded to the inaccurate claims of the government. Guardian, according to which 6,500 workers from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal have died since 2011 working on construction sites for stadiums and infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup.
This accusation is totally false. 1.4 million foreign nationals currently live in Qatar and only 20% of them are employed on construction sites. The remaining 80% include teachers, doctors, accountants, bankers and professionals working in offices and businesses. Less than 10% of all deaths in the past seven years were in those employed in the construction industry, including only three deaths related to work on World Cup construction sites. The article from Guardian draws up a cataloged portrait of the professions of expatriates in our country and ignores these critical points.
You have 56.08% of this article to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
