“A natural part of life”, 2022 FIFA World Cup CEO Nasser Al Khater brushes off the tragic death of a migrant worker during the 2022 FIFA World Cup
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Nasser Al Khater
Dozens of controversies have surrounded the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the country’s regime has been facing massive protests from people around the globe. The most disturbing facts and news surrounding the big event lie in the migrant workers’ issue and the number of work-site fatalities allegedly going unnoticed in the host country. The tragic death of yet another migrant worker was reported in Qatar, and remarks on death by the World Cup CEO have stirred up new controversies.
The worker who passed away was working to repair lights in a parking lot of a five-star resort that was being used as a World Cup training base for the Saudi Arabia squad during the group stage before their elimination. His fellow workers, who have gone anonymous to protect their jobs, said “Alex slipped and fell headfirst off a ramp and onto concrete while walking alongside a forklift,”. A medical helicopter arrived after some time, but Alex was far from getting saved.
“The incident is being investigated by the Qatari authorities,” said a Qatari government official. Throughout the episode, the World Cup CEO Nasser Al Khater brushed off the tragic accident and said, “Death is a natural part of life, whether it’s at work, whether it’s in your sleep. Of course, a worker died. Our condolences go to his family.” The company will be subject to legal action and severe financial penalties if the investigation concludes against those in charge that safety protocols were not followed.
Contradicting reports over the accurate number of deaths have caused much confusion. FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed earlier that only three migrant workers died in the construction of the whole eight stadiums, but Nicholas McGeehan of FairSquare, an organization working for human rights, called that an attempt to mislead the people. However, the Qatari officials who were responsible for the delivery of the World Cup claimed the shocking number of World-Cup related deaths was between 400 and 500.
Qatar amidst protests for its treatment of migrant workers during the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Migrant workers and their families are demanding compensation from FIFA and Qatar authorities for abuses, including the unexplained number of deaths workers suffered while preparing for the big event. “Migrant workers were indispensable to making the World Cup 2022 possible, but it has come at great cost for many migrant workers and their families who made not only personal sacrifices, but also faced widespread wage theft, injuries, and thousands of unexplained deaths,” said Rothna Begum, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.
The situation of migrant workers has worsened in Qatar, the issue has been protested over a thousand times but the officials seem to have turned a blind eye toward it. The senior researcher also claimed, “Many migrant workers, their families, and communities are not able to fully celebrate what they have built, and are calling on FIFA and Qatar to remedy abuses of workers that have left families and communities destitute and struggling.”
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Akshat Pandey
(275 Articles Published)