Qatar World Cup: 1,200 Migrant Workers Dead

Qatar World Cup: 1,200 Migrant Workers Dead

Created: Monday, 07 April 2014 17:30

Qatar World Cup: 1,200 Migrant Workers Dead

A recent report from the International Trade Union Confederation indicates that 1,200 migrant workers have died while working on World Cup projects in Qatar. Migrant workers from India and Nepal have been traveling to the country for construction jobs in preparation for the 2022 games in Qatar since 2010. Lusail City workers have reported squalid working conditions, withheld pay, the confiscation of passports and unhealthy demands, including working in 122 degree heat with no rest nor food.

The Guardian has dubbed this migrant worker exploitation in Qatar "modern day slavery" while the ILO has called on Qatar to implement necessary reforms. The ITUC also predicts that 4,000 migrant workers will die by the time that the games begin. Most shocking, however, is the Qatari World Cup Committee's denial of the situation, claiming that the ITUC's statistics are both "incorrect and misleading." Efforts are reportedly being made to investigate the situation and institute reforms to end this offense to human rights.

Write-up By: Mersadies Burch, GFI Intern

(Photo via Sean Gallup/Getty Images)