With just a year to go for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, a report has claimed that over 6,500 South Asian migrants workers—from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka—have died since Qatar won the rights to the cup in 2010.
The report by The Guardian, citing government data, found that an average of 12 migrant workers from these five countries died every week since December 2010. 5,927 workers were from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, while 824 were from Pakistan.
According to the report, 2,711 Indians were among the migrant workers who died in Qatar since 2010.
The official data does not directly attribute the deaths to the World Cup, though the report quotes Nick McGeehan, director at advocacy group FairSquare Projects, saying it is likely many of them were employed on World Cup infrastructure projects.
“There have been 37 deaths among workers directly linked to construction of World Cup stadiums, of which 34 are classified as ‘non-work related’ by the event’s organising committee,” the report says.
In preparation for the World Cup, Qatar has been building seven new stadiums, as well as a host of associated infrastructure including a new airport, roads, public transport systems, hotels and an entire new city that will host the final.
Lusail City, located 23km north of Doha’s city centre, has been under construction at a cost of around $45 billion. A 38 square kilometre city, it can host up to two lakh people and will include the $275 million Marina Mall project, and the 80,000 seat Lusail stadium.
Qatar’s ambitious plans for the World Cup have been criticised, however, for its use of migrant labour, often working under harsh conditions. Human rights organisation Amnesty International has claimed migrant workers are frequently abused, living under poor living conditions and often going unpaid for months.
The Guardian report says most deaths are classified as “natural deaths” and claims these are usually made without autopsies. A recent report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) stated workers in the country were at increased risk of heat-related illnesses, as conditions often exceed 45°C and 90 per cent relative humidity.
Concerns over the working conditions in Qatar in 2019 prompted Liverpool to call for thorough investigations into the same.
That year, FIFA asked Qatar to make “additional progress” to improve conditions for the nearly two million migrant workers helping it prepare for the World Cup. At the time, FIFA said Qatar was “working intensely" with the International Labour Organisation and others to improve matters and said FIFA "continues to engage" with the local organising committee to "ensure respect for the rights of workers who are involved in World Cup-related activities".
Qatar in 2020 claimed to have banned companies that did not pay its workers’ salaries for months, with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy saying, “Since construction began in 2014, we have made significant progress and achievements in the area of workers’ welfare. There will always be challenges to address and we are committed to overcoming them.”
“The State of Qatar does not tolerate the unscrupulous treatment of workers,” it said.
