Criticism of Workers' Conditions Involved in the Construction of Qatar's Stadiums

On Thursday, April 1, Amnesty International reported that workers engaged in the construction and renovation of sports stadiums in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup are victims of serious human rights violations. According to Reuters, two years after Qatar decided to standardize labor rights laws in response to rising criticism, severe violations of workers' rights continue to occur in the country. Amnesty International states that dozens of workers from Nepal and India have been brought to Qatar and housed in filthy, dilapidated accommodations, with their passports confiscated by their employers, preventing them from leaving Qatar. According to Amnesty International, individuals who have found jobs for these workers in Qatar charge them monthly fees. The head of the Qatar Distribution and Memorial Committee (the committee responsible for constructing and reviving all necessary infrastructure for hosting the World Cup) stated that Amnesty International has identified issues in the living conditions of workers and that Doha is working to resolve them. He suggested that such abuses could occur in construction companies worldwide. Amnesty International reported that it interviewed 132 workers involved in the renovation of Khalifa Stadium and based its report on these interviews. Khalifa Sports Stadium in Doha is part of Qatar's $200 billion investment to host the World Cup in 2022. The head of the 2022 Qatar Games Committee told reporters on Monday that Amnesty International focused on mistreatment of a few out of a total of 5,100 workers participating in the construction of the stadiums. He stated that Doha is working daily to address the issues. The number mentioned is expected to rise to about 36,000 workers over the next two years. Giovanni Infantino, the new FIFA president, has been under pressure in recent months to clarify that Qatar will provide better standards for foreign workers before 2017, when construction related to the games peaked. Mustafa Qadri, an Amnesty International researcher on Gulf countries, stated that Qatar's progress in providing better security and housing for workers has been evident; however, small abuses such as threats to workers and non-compliance with labor contract terms still exist in the country.