April 04, 2016

Amnesty accuses Qatar of exploiting migrant workers in preparations for World Cup

Migrant workers in Qatar are being exploited and in some cases subjected to forced labor, according to a report from Amnesty International.

The report says migrant workers involved in construction of facilities for the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar are not allowed to change jobs or leave the country, and sometimes go months without payment.

Amnesty has accused FIFA, football’s international governing body, of “shocking indifference” to the treatment of migrant workers.

The report lists eight ways that migrants in Qatar are being exploited, including being forced to pay high fees to recruitment agencies, living in poor accommodation, and not being provided with residence permits.

According to the report, the firm Six Construct is being paid US$90 million to refurbish Khalifa football stadium, while its workers are being paid an average of just $220 a month. Recruitment agency fees paid by workers vary between $500 and $4,300.

There are 1.7 million migrant workers in Qatar, accounting for over 90% of the country’s workforce.

In 2014, FIFA praised Qatar for its “commitment to use the 2022 FIFA World Cup to achieve positive social change.”

The Amnesty report, The Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game: Exploitation of Migrant Workers on a Qatar 2022 World Cup Site, can be accessed here.