Deaths Of Thousands Of Migrant Workers Behind The 2022 Qatar World Cup

Germany national team in qualifying against Iceland (Source: Antara)

JAKARTA - The German Football Association (DFB) opposes the boycott of the 2022 World Cup. Even so, Germany is committed to jointly with its national football team to support the rights of migrant workers in Qatar.

This was explained by DFB President Fritz Keller, Friday, March 26. German teams line up before kickoff in their opening World Cup qualifier against Iceland in Duisburg on Thursday, March 25.

They wore clothes with a row of letters that read "HUMAN RIGHTS." Norway staged a similar protest on Wednesday, March 24 ahead of a match in Gibraltar.

At that time the Norwegian players wore shirts that read: Human Rights, on and off the pitch.

The issue of death of migrant workers

The initiative comes after a report in British newspaper The Guardian said at least 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since the country won the rights to stage the 2022 World Cup ten years ago.

Norway's top club Tromso has asked his country's football federation to consider boycotting the World Cup after The Guardian published its report. But Keller opposed the move.

"Qatar has initiated some reforms and there has been visible progress - although things still need to be done - that the potential for the boycott to be reversed," he said in an interview published on the DFB's official website.

"I hope to push for concrete change, and implement it before giving the World Cup to a country like Qatar, where there are some things that still need to change," added Keller.

"Instead, Qatar was awarded the World Cup as a kind of leap of faith, in the hope it will help bring about improvement."

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez told CNN it would be a "big mistake" to boycott the World Cup finals.

The DFB echoed the stance of the previous German government when a spokesman told reporters "the national team is a good part of Germany and therefore good when they are committed to our liberal democratic values."

Keller added: We must defend our values, which are written in our laws, and let our voices be heard at all times. If someone is unable to support the assertion of human rights, they need to readjust their morals immediately.

"Every player dreams of being able to play for his country at the World Cup from a young age, but at the same time, of course, they know that you are not playing with human rights.

"They are non-negotiable and universally applicable, all over the world. This is what has caught the attention of the national players."

On Thursday, March 25, representatives of Qatar's World Cup organizers said they were "always transparent about workers' health and safety".

"Since construction (of the stadium) began in 2014, there have been three work-related deaths and 35 non-work-related deaths," the representative added.

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