Qatar World Cup chief slammed for ‘insensitive’ remarks over migrant worker death

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The head of Qatar’s World Cup organizing committee is facing criticism for his remarks about the death of a Filipino migrant worker at a training site during the tournament.

Nasser Al Khater, managing director of the 2022 World Cup in Doha, confirmed to Reuters that a worker had died, but gave no further details. He offered his condolences to the man’s family, but ignored further questions from reporters.

“Death is a natural part of life, whether at work or in your sleep,” Khater said. “We are in the middle of a World Cup. And we have a successful World Cup. And that’s something you want to talk about now?”

Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers has come under scrutiny amid World Cup preparations, with rights groups slamming the Gulf state for abuse systematic work rejected by the government.

Human Rights Watch condemned Khater’s remarks, saying he showed “complete contempt” for the deceased worker.

“Khater’s statement that deaths happen and it’s natural when they happen ignores the truth that many migrant worker deaths were preventable,” Rothna Begum, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, told CBC. News in a press release.

Migrant workers watch Qatar play against Ecuador on the big screen in Doha on November 20. Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers has come under scrutiny before and during the World Cup. (Marko Djurica/Reuters) Death investigation

Online sports publication The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the man worked for a company to fix lights in a parking lot at Sealine Resort, the Saudi national team’s training site. He said he died after slipping off a ramp while walking alongside a forklift and hitting his head on concrete.

Citing several unnamed sources, he said the accident happened during the World Cup, but did not say when.

Qatari officials confirmed they had launched a workplace safety investigation.

“If the investigation concludes that safety protocols were not followed, the company will face legal action and severe financial penalties,” a Qatari government official told Reuters, who requested the release. ‘anonymity.

A migrant worker carries a pole at a construction site in Doha December 6, 2016. Qatar and its World Cup organizers have disputed reports on the number of migrant workers who have died in the country in recent years. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images)

“The rate of work-related accidents has steadily decreased in Qatar since strict health and safety standards were introduced and enforcement was tightened,” he said.

The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement that one of its nationals had died while working in a seaside resort south of the capital Doha. He said his embassy was “working with legal authorities to obtain further details of his death”.

In a statement, FIFA said it was “deeply saddened” by the news of the worker’s death.

“As soon as FIFA was informed of the accident, we contacted the local authorities to request further details. FIFA will be able to comment further once the relevant processes regarding the death of the worker are completed,” said a spokesperson at CBC. New.

Qatar disputes death toll

Since winning World Cup hosting rights in 2010, Qatar has come under scrutiny for its treatment of migrant workers, who make up the majority of its population.

The tournament, the first to be held in the Middle East where other countries have also come under fire over migrant worker rights, has been mired in controversy. Some football stars and European officials have criticized Qatar’s human rights record, including on labour, LGBTQ+ people and women’s rights.

A World Cup stadium is pictured under construction in Lusail December 20, 2019. Human rights groups have accused Qatar of systematic abuse of migrant workers, including those who built its Cup facilities of the world. (Hassan Ammar/Associated Press)

Qatar World Cup organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said in a statement that they were not involved in the Qatari investigation because “the deceased [was] working as a contractor, and not under the responsibility of the SC.”

The number of work-related deaths in Qatar is disputed.

Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported last year that at least 6,500 migrant workers, many working on World Cup projects, had died in Qatar since 2010, based on its calculations from official documents.

In response, Qatar said the death toll was proportional to the size of the migrant workforce and included many non-manual workers, adding that every life lost was a tragedy. The SC said three work-related fatalities and 37 non-work-related fatalities occurred on World Cup-related projects.

Front Burner24:18Qatar and a World Cup controversy

This month’s FIFA World Cup is important for Canada. It’s the first time in 36 years that our men’s team has qualified to compete, and the last World Cup before Canada will share hosting duties in 2026. But in the decade since Qatar has won its bid to host this year’s tournament, allegations of corruption, discrimination and human rights abuses have threatened to overshadow the game. Qatar criminalizes same-sex relations and a Guardian report says at least 6,500 migrant workers have died since his successful bid. As players and fans wonder how to protest, we’re joined by Roger Bennett from the Men in Blazers podcast. He just co-wrote a new book called Gods of Soccer and co-hosts World Corrupt, a podcast that dives deep into the corruption of FIFA and the World Cup in Qatar.

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