Qatar recognizes death of 400 to 500 migrant workers; previous number was 40

An investigation by a British journal had estimated more than 6000 deaths
by
Josué Seixas
2022-12-02 14:57:56

One of the leaders of the World Cup in Qatar, Hassan Al Thawadi, acknowledged the death of “400 to 500” migrant workers during the preparations for this year’s tournament.

In an interview with the British channel TalkTV, Al Thawadi admitted this number of deaths, even after the British newspaper The Guardian carried out an investigation that estimated the deaths at 6,500. It is worth remembering that the Qatari authorities had said that the deaths would not have exceeded 40.

“Each year the security in these places is improving. I think that, in general, the need for labor reform indicates that improvements must be made. This is something we recognize before applying. The improvements that were produced were not for the World Cup. We had to do them for our values”, admitted Al Thawadi.

“The World Cup served as an accelerator,” he added. Regarding the number of dead workers, the CEO assured that it is “between 400 and 500”. “I don’t have the exact number, but one death is one death, there are many. It’s clear and simple.”

In early November, a report released by human rights group Equidem found that migrant workers who built the stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar suffered “persistent and widespread violations of labor rights”. Allegations include discrimination based on nationality, illegal recruitment practices and even unpaid wages.

And what’s the conclusion?

The conclusion of the study was that Qatar presents a very hostile environment for migrant workers. The number may still change, as investigations will follow.