November 2 – Qatar has rejected calls for a compensation fund for migrant workers killed or injured during World Cup preparations, reports Agence France Press, with the country’s labour minister labelling the calls for a fund a “publicity stunt”.
Qatar’s labour minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri said the country is already handing out hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid wages, and accused the Gulf state’s critics of “racism”.
“This call for a duplicative FIFA-led compensation campaign is a publicity stunt,” said Al Marri. “Our door is open. We have dealt with and resolved a lot of cases.”
Earlier this year human rights groups and NGOs called for FIFA and the World Cup hosts to set up a compensation fund for migrant workers and their families in Qatar who have suffered human rights abuses, matching the $440 million World Cup prize money.
Qatar has long been scrutinized for its human rights record and labour laws. The World Cup hosts have also been accused of under-reporting deaths.
Calls for a remediation fund have largely left the football industry disinterested, even if some FAs have come out in support cautiously. FIFA recently indicated that talks about a fund are ongoing, but Al Marri now seems to have completely shot down the idea.
“Every death is a tragedy,” said Al Marri. “There is no criteria to establish these funds. Where are the victims, do you have names of the victims, how can you get these numbers?”
In 2018, Qatar started a Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund to compensate workers that have not been paid, and Al Marri claimed that this year alone $320 million has been disbursed.
“If there is a person entitled to compensation who has not received it, they should come forward and we will help them,” added Al Marri.
Echoing the Emir of Qatar who last month claimed the country was facing an “unprecedented campaign”, Al Marri claimed that some critics acted through “racism”.
Last month, Qatar’s emir said the country was facing an “unprecedented campaign” of criticism ahead of the November 20 kick-off.
“They don’t want to allow a small country, an Arab country, an Islamic country, to organise the World Cup,” said Al Marri, whose country never grants citizenship to foreigners or those with a residence permit. “They know very well about the reforms that have been made, but they don’t acknowledge it because they have racist motivations.”
He also claimed that Qatar was a leader in labour reform.
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