Amnesty accuses Qatar of abusing World Cup workers

AFP, DOHA: Qatar World Cup stadium workers have suffered abuse and been subjected to forced labour, Amnesty International said Thursday, for the first time alleging rights violations at a 2022 tournament venue.
The London-based watchdog said labourers at the Khalifa International Stadium, mostly from Bangladesh, India and Nepal, were lied to over their salaries, went unpaid for months and were housed in squalid accommodation, which it claims amount to forced labour.
Seven workers at the venue, which will also host the 2019 World Athletics Championships, were even prevented from returning home to help their families after Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake.
"This is a World Cup based on labour exploitation," said Amnesty's Mustafa Qadri.
The poor treatment of construction workers is one of the major issues that has dogged the Gulf state since the controversial decision to award it the right to host football's flagship tournament.
The 51-page report, "The Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game", is likely to increase international criticism of Qatar and put fresh pressure on FIFA and its new leadership, as well as World Cup sponsors.
The criticisms also extend to landscaping at the nearby Aspire Zone, a world-renowned sports complex where Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich trained this year.
Amnesty said it carried out its research for a year until February and interviewed 234 men.
It claimed 228 said the wages they received were lower than promised.

Amnesty accuses Qatar of abusing World Cup workers

AFP, DOHA: Qatar World Cup stadium workers have suffered abuse and been subjected to forced labour, Amnesty International said Thursday, for the first time alleging rights violations at a 2022 tournament venue. The London-based watchdog said labourers at the Khalifa International Stadium, mostly from Bangladesh, India and Nepal, were lied to over their salaries, went unpaid for months and were housed in squalid accommodation, which it claims amount to forced labour. Seven workers at the venue, which will also host the 2019 World Athletics Championships, were even prevented from returning home to help their families after Nepals devastating 2015 earthquake. This is a World Cup based on labour exploitation, said Amnestys Mustafa Qadri. The poor treatment of construction workers is one of the major issues that has dogged the Gulf state since the controversial decision to award it the right to host footballs flagship tournament. The 51-page report, The Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game, is likely to increase international criticism of Qatar and put fresh pressure on FIFA and its new leadership, as well as World Cup sponsors. The criticisms also extend to landscaping at the nearby Aspire Zone, a world-renowned sports complex where Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich trained this year. Amnesty said it carried out its research for a year until February and interviewed 234 men. It claimed 228 said the wages they received were lower than promised.