The Qatar Cup will take place between November 21st and December 18th this year
Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @fifa/Estadão
Foreigners working on jobs in World Cup host Qatar have been arrested over a protest held Receive wages months late. According to the Associated Press news agency, at least 60 foreigners were arrested after the demonstration and some of them were deported by the local government.
This fact fuels the concern that has been raised since the Arab country was chosen as FIFA’s home country Cup this year. A survey by the British newspaper The Guardian showed that by June last year more than 6,000 migrant workers died after construction began To be the host of one of the world’s top sporting events.
The protest took place a week ago, on August 14th. The workers’ group demonstrated in the capital doha, in front of the offices of Al Bandary International Group, a conglomerate active in construction, real estate, hotels and hospitality, among others. Videos show an avenue blocked by protesters.
According to the human rights consultancy Equidem, some of the foreigners had not received a salary for seven months. “Is this really the reality that is coming out?” asked Mustafa Qadri, Executive Director of Equidem, concerned about the failure to fulfill the promise of the Qatar that I would handle it better workforce immigrant.
Expressing its views on the case in a statement, the government reported that “several protesters have been arrested for violating public safety laws.” It also confirmed that Al Bandary owed payments but the Department of Labor was paying the arrears.
“The company has been investigated by the authorities for nonpayment of wages related to the incident and further steps are now being taken to set a deadline for the settlement of the unpaid wages,” the government said, without giving details of the situation in where the imprisoned workers are located.
According to Equidem, police took the protesters to a detention center where they are suffering in stifling heat without air conditioning. This week the thermometers in Doha showed 41 degrees. Police reportedly said that “if they can protest in the heat, they can sleep without air conditioning,” Mustafa Quadri reports.