For abuses to workers in Qatar, Amnesty International accuses FIFA

FIFA was accused by Amnesty International of not preventing the abuses that happen to the workers responsible for the construction of the stadiums that will be used at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. For the human rights group, which revealed on Thursday a full abuse cases report at the Khalifa Stadium and Aspirine Zone, which includes training camps and structures around the field, what is happening is a disgrace to football world.

According to Amnesty International, immigrants working in the works of the Khalifa Stadium (one of 12 being built or refurbished) are delivered absolutely filthy accommodation and have confiscated passports and suffer intimidation of leaders. They receive lower wages than promised, and other irregularities. Among the 234 men interviewed by Amnesty International, only six reported receiving salary previously agreed.

The situation caused the Amnesty condemn FIFA, for human rights abuses in the World Cup host country 2022: "The abuse of immigrant workers is a wound in the conscience of world football," said the secretary general of Amnesty International, Selil Shetty . "For players and fans, a World Cup stadium is a place of dreams. For some of the workers we spoke with, it looks like a living nightmare ".

Contact the Goal , the report's editor, Mustafa Qadri explained how gardeners Khalifa Stadium are cheated by recruitment companies, "the was promised them $ 260 (about US $ 935) per month. Now, $ 260, when you paid a thousand to $ 4.300 as a recruiting fee to get started, it is not a lot of money (...) When you remember, on top of that, the lack of dignity in the way they are treated, it is very shocking ".

"These companies claim ignorance, but ignorance is no excuse for the law and international morality. Moreover, in terms of negligence, one must seriously question it, "Qadri said. "We're saying that for years."

"We said that this was an issue for the Supreme Committee for Qatar authorities and updated regularly to FIFA, either directly or from our publications. So far, nothing was really done. " Both the Qatar Supreme Committee as FIFA said in a statement that continue working to improve the situation of workers.