a draw and still the thorny question on human rights in Qatar

“ The long road to the tournament has been marred by human rights scandals and poor working conditions, but there are also encouraging signs of progress wrote the players’ union FIPPro and the BWI (International Union of Wood and Construction Workers) on Wednesday March 30, calling for a “Migrant Workers’ Center” in Qatar just before the April 1 draw, to sustain the reforms obtained after the competition. ” Workers continue to be subjected to abusive practices. Unscrupulous employers oppose reforms and are not held to account. The most vulnerable workers from countries such as India, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, Pakistan and some African countries still fear reprisals if they speak out against exploitation, unpaid wages and long working hours. work », explain the FIPPro and the BWI.

When The Guardian put your feet up

At the time of knowing the groups of the World Cup 2022, Qatar is at the center of attention until December, against the backdrop of its “sports diplomacy”. By winning the most popular competition on the planet at the end of 2010, to everyone’s surprise and at the cost of multiple controversies, this gas micro-State offered itself a rise in its notoriety that was as dazzling as it was risky. Since this award, many have denounced the working conditions on the sites linked to the event.

In a new survey published in February 2021, the British daily The Guardian was reporting on 6 500 deaths among migrant workers who come mainly from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. Already in September 2013, The Guardian published a shock file on construction sites in Qatar, speaking of ” exploitation of migrant workers who looks like modern slavery “. Fifa’ sum the country to react. From 2016, the emirate abolished the “kafala”, a sponsorship system making employees quasi-properties of their employer.

The designation by Fifa of this sandy peninsula as large as the Ile-de-France, devoid of infrastructure the dimensions of a World Cup and stifling in summer, has caused a lot of ink to flow. Qatar managed to build the eight required stadiums on time, but by using tens of thousands of migrant workers in grueling conditions, in scorching temperatures and for poverty wages, documented by international unions and the press. Yet Qatar, which lifted the ban on workers changing employers and introduced a minimum hourly wage of $1.30 in a country with a GDP per capita of $66,000 a year, claims to have more than any other country in the region and firmly rejects the reports put forward by international media of thousands of deaths on construction sites.

► To read: World Cup 2022: one year from kick-off, Qatar is still under fire from critics

For Amnesty International, the situation is still worrying

“ On paper things have changed. Especially in communication. But in reality, the situation is worryingexplains to RFI, Lola Schulmann, advocacy officer for Amnesty International France. The pace is picking up and there could be even more workers’ rights violations by November. There are still months of salary arrears and passport confiscations. And the accommodation conditions are sometimes pitiful. We alert Fifa regularly. We have to get things moving on the side of the federations and the supporters. We hope that during the FIFA Congress, federations demand public accountability “. Amnesty International France calls on the French Football Federation (FFF) to take action against these violations of the rights of thousands of migrant workers in Qatar. Two hundred and eleven federations are affiliated with Fifa.

Several teams (Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany) displayed signs of protest during qualifying matches. From the question of human rights in a country that practices the death penalty, to the criminalization of homosexuality, through the guardianship system for women: criticism of Western footballers is increasing as the event approaches. In March 2021, Real Madrid’s German international, Toni Kroos, gave his feelings: “ I think the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar was not a good thing (…). The first reason is the conditions of the workers (…) then the fact that homosexuality is penalized and punished in Qatar “.

Historic legislative reforms have been introduced according to Fifa

For its part, Fifa boasts in advance of ” international standards and practices » that his World Cup will leave to the workers. In mid-March 2022, the President of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, met with the Minister of Labor of Qatar and greeted the ” significant progress made over the past decade on workers’ rights and welfare. ” Historic legislative reforms have been introduced and have already brought concrete benefits to hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, said Gianni Infantino in a press release from Fifa, just after his meeting with this minister. ” There are still challenges ahead – as in many other countries around the world – but the progress made in recent times is undeniable, as is the commitment to bringing about positive social change. “, could we also read.

The international football body is also entering a period of risk: the World Cup in Qatar has remained tainted since the origin by accusations of corruption, which have taken away almost all of its officials at the time and can resurface at any time. . For several years, ethical questions around major competitions have only grown, making the Olympics or the World Cups of football grounds for mobilization for governments, NGOs and athletes themselves. Fifa has just banned Russian football after the invasion of Ukraine. She may be strongly criticized if she fails to denounce other violations of human rights. Just before the Fifa congress, Germany’s ruling Social Democratic Party urged its federation to ” bring political and social issues to the table » linked to the 2022 World Cup.

Before the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar, this Gulf country, where immigrant workers represent 88% of the population, was already singled out by NGOs who denounced exploitation assimilated to “a modern form of slavery “.