Qatar World Cup Chief Reveals Brutal Reality of Competition: 400-500 Migrant Workers Have Died in Buildup to Tournament
The World Cup has been controversial thus far, from the host nation Qatar allegedly bribing FIFA officials to secure the hosting duties for this year's tournament to the abuse of migrant workers building the stadiums for the games. However, we now have confirmation that these deaths did actually happen.
According to CNN, World Cup chief Hassan Al-Thawadi himself confirmed this with Piers Morgan in an interview that between 400 and 500 migrant workers have died as a result of working on World Cup-related projects. It has been noted that the Qatari government gave a much smaller number of migrant worker deaths previously.
"I don't have the exact number, that's something that's been discussed. One death is too many, it's as simple as that," Al-Thawadi said, adding that the health and safety standards have already improved, at least on the World Cup sites.
Earlier this month, a Qatari government official stated there had only been three work-related deaths on World Cup stadiums and 37 non-work-related deaths. This is a far cry from the numbers Al-Thawadi had just admitted.
Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) reiterated those small numbers until Al-Thawadi gave that Piers Morgan interview.
Renewed Human Rights Criticism Against Qatar for Migrant Worker Deaths
Al-Thawadi's admission is expected to once again renew criticisms against Qatar over the human rights of migrant workers, according to ESPN. These workers built infrastructure worth over $200 billion in the baking Qatari desert heat. Reports also stated that these workers lived in squalor while the rest of the country lived in luxury,
Since being awarded the World Cup hosting rights in 2014, the Qatari government has stepped up the building process for infrastructure needed for the World Cup, including new roads, rail stations, and of course, stadiums.
In order to achieve the massive amount of growth needed for the World Cup given their small population, Qatar hired migrant workers, mostly from India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. However, working conditions were harsh and unsafe, as were their living conditions.
These workers were also in debt, paying thousands of dollars just to go and work in Qatar. However, once in the country, they have their passports confiscated and they are given what many have called "slave wages."
Qatar and the FIFA Bribery Scandal
When Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup, many experts were left scratching their heads. Qatar did not have the proper infrastructure, the proper climate, and most importantly, they did not have a football tradition, as their team has never qualified for a single World Cup and often got beaten handily by their Asian opponents.
What Qatar has, however, is oil money, and they have a lot of it. While other countries seem to have the hosting duties as a lock because of how qualified they were, Qatar could do things under the table with FIFA officials.
Several FIFA officials have already pleaded guilty to taking bribes from 2018 host Russia, as well as 2022 host Qatar. As the New York Times revealed, this sparked a massive investigation by the United States Department of Justice, leading to the arrest of several big names in FIFA, including some of the most powerful men in soccer.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Qatar World Cup: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - LastWeekTonight