LONDON — Campaigners called on Qatar Thursday to change its policy toward migrant laborers preparing for the 2022 World Cup, following an investigation by British newspaper the Guardian alleging “modern day slavery.” The report said dozens of Nepalese workers have died while working in Qatar in recent weeks, raising concerns about the Gulf state's preparations to host the World Cup. Quoting documents obtained by the Nepalese embassy in the Qatari capital Doha, the Guardian said thousands of Nepalese — the largest group of laborers in Qatar — faced exploitation and abuses amounting to “modern-day slavery.” Aidan McQuade, director of Anti-Slavery International, who has seen the documents presented by the newspaper, said the evidence was “certainly highly indicative of a brutal working environment which is not good for anybody. “It is indicative of forced labor and it seems to even go beyond that. This is an open secret, and there is not a concerted effort to stop it.” The Guardian said it had found evidence of forced labor on a huge World Cup infrastructure project, although work has not yet begun on building the stadiums for the tournament. It said some Nepalese men had alleged they had not been paid for months and had had salaries held back to prevent them fleeing, while a group of 30 had sought refuge in the Nepalese embassy to escape the conditions of their employment. Some workers complained that employers had confiscated workers' passports and refused to issue identity cards, while others said they had been denied access to drinking water despite the fierce desert heat. One Nepalese migrant employed at Lusail City, which will include the 90,000-capacity stadium in which the World Cup final will be played, said: “We'd like to leave but the company won't let us.” The body organizing the World Cup, the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, told the Guardian it was “deeply concerned” by the allegations. McQuade said the situation would improve quickly if the Qatari authorities introduced three measures. “We call on the Qatari authorities to get rid of the ‘kafala' system which limits employees to one employer,” he said. “They should also allow freedom of association so that workers can negotiate better conditions collectively, and they should set a minimum rate of pay.” The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is pushing FIFA to press for changes in Qatari labor laws. Qatar examining allegations Qatar government authorities are investigating allegations, the committee managing preparations for the 2022 World Cup said Thursday. The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee said in a statement it had been informed that government authorities were investigating the allegations. “Like everyone viewing the video and images, and reading the accompanying texts, we are appalled by the findings presented in the Guardian's report,” the committee said. “The health, safety, well-being and dignity of every worker that contributes to staging the 2022 FIFA World Cup is of the utmost importance to our committee.” — Agencies
