Doha deemed foreign assessments of the situation of migrant workers working on the 2022 World Cup sites in Qatar “exaggerated” on Thursday, while saying it took them seriously.
In a report, Amnesty International denounces the conditions of foreign workers, in a resolution on the subject that the European Parliament voted on Thursday. Another mission report to Qatar from the UN special rapporteur on the rights of migrants, François Crépeau, further criticizes the gas Emirate.
The Qatari authorities are reacting to these accusations. “ These assessments exaggerate the allegations contained in the press articles ”, underlined a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar while specifying that “ the government of Qatar takes seriously the allegations on the working conditions on the construction sites ” of the World Cup.
Qatar commits to doing better
The spokesperson recalled Doha’s commitment to improving the working conditions of migrants on its construction sites and its intention to crack down on construction companies Qatarthat do not respect the rights of these workers. To do this, Doha says it is keen to enter into a dialogue with the European Parliament on the issue. A report on ways to improve conditions for migrant workers has been commissioned from an international law firm.
Blatter in a blurred position
The latest criticism of Qatar came from the president of the International Football Federation, Joseph Blatter, who on Wednesday deemed the situation of workers working on the construction of the 2022 World Cup stadiums “unacceptable”. Statements that raise questions about the real position of the boss of world football who, we remember, in reaction to accusations of slavery, tried to manage Qatar , even if he would later say that the attribution of the World Cup to this Gulf country could be an error.
