From Freedom United

The Women’s 2019 World Cup is drawing to a close and many of us are now looking forward to the Men’s 2022 World Cup – but not at the expense of workers’ freedom. Migrant workers in Qatar, some of whom are involved in construction projects for the World Cup, are alleging labor abuses that amount to modern slavery.Urge Qatar to protect migrant workers from forced labor and exploitation.

Sign to demand a slavery-free World Cup

Last year, Qatar passed an important law that signaled progress in ending the employment system that leaves migrant workers dependent on their employers and vulnerable to exploitation.[1] But a recent undercover investigation has exposed that migrant workers are still having their wages and passports withheld, tying them to their employer and leaving them vulnerable to forced labor. Workers allege living in squalid conditions with no money to buy adequate food and even being punished for falling ill by being forced to sit in the scorching sun all day.[2]

Dil Prasad and Adi Gurung both travelled from Nepal to work on World Cup construction projects in Qatar. They said:

“Every day we nourish ourselves on water and bread. Without money we can’t do anything else. Month on month our situation gets worse and worse. I’m not sure how much longer I can do it. I just want to go home. We can’t even call our family in Nepal. If the companies would just pay us the money we’re owed…”[3]

“We went to the labor court and the Embassy but nothing’s changed.”[4]

For the first time ever, FIFA has recognized that migrant workers’ rights have been violated[5] in the construction of projects related to the Qatar World Cup. Harrowing numbers show that 1,426 Nepali workers have died in Qatar since 2009.[6]

Enough is enough. No migrant worker should suffer in exploitative conditions and risk their lives to bring us the World Cup. Join us in demanding immediate action from Qatar.

In solidarity,
 
Miriam, Joanna and the Freedom United team

[1] https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_638754/lang–en/index.htm
[2] https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/undercover-investigation-reports-range-of-abuses-against-migrant-workers-in-qatar-includes-comments-from-fifa
[3] https://www.freedomunited.org/news/qatar-2022-fifa-finally-admits-violation-of-workers-rights/
[4] https://www.dw.com/en/qatar-2022-fifa-admits-violation-of-workers-standards/a-49078052
[5] https://www.freedomunited.org/news/qatar-2022-fifa-finally-admits-violation-of-workers-rights/
[6] https://www.dw.com/en/qatar-2022-fifa-admits-violation-of-workers-standards/a-49078052

To sign to demand a slavery-free World Cup go to: https://www.freedomunited.org/advocate/qatar-kafala/?trk_msg=9E5HQE90NPQ43AP2OO59UK882K&trk_contact=037FSGUJ91I19DOFIHRSCHO86K&trk_sid=MABMN714UEF3CSCJCUB5A012LS&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Sign+to+demand+a+slavery-free+World+Cup&utm_campaign=FU-EN-27JUNE-2019-QATAR-NAT-ACTIVE&utm_content=FU-EN-27JUNE-2019-QATAR-NAT-ACTIVE