5 Days Towards The 2022 World Cup: Minister Of Manpower Qatar Rejects Compensation Of Migrant Workers Who Build Infrastructure

JAKARTA - Qatar Minister of Manpower Ali Bin Samikh Al Marri rejected a request by human rights institutions to pay compensation for migrant workers who built the 2022 World Cup infrastructure.

Human rights groups recently launched the #PayUpFIFA campaign to ask the Qatari Government to compensate migrant workers. They are workers involved in the construction of stadiums and infrastructure to support the quadrennial grand event.

However, according to Global hours, Al Marri said the campaign was solely aimed at an 'cilimate publicity' as well as accusing it of being an act of 'racism'. The reason is, Qatar has spent a lot of money to pay workers' salaries.

"Minister of Manpower Qatari Ali bin Samikh Al Marri refuses to create recovery funds for migrant workers who are harmed today," the agency wrote in an official statement quoted by Sportskeeda on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.

The agency considers Al Marri's response to clearly ignoring growing criticism of Qatari workers' rights records. In addition, the Qatari government is also considered to ignore support for migrant workers who face violations while working.

"On the other hand, Al Marri cited Qatar's recent labor reforms and questioned the feasibility of the recovery fund," the statement continued.

"While Qatar is making important reforms, research from human rights found that they came too late, the coverage was narrow, or weakly enforced, meaning many workers helped build the World Cup infrastructure failed," they added.

Last week, Amnesty International also urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to commit compensation to migrant workers who have desperately built all stadiums for Qatar's 2022 World Cup.

This pressure, as claimed by human rights groups, because FIFA in the October 13 trial at the European Council, has approved the compensation of workers. The parent of European football (UEFA) was also reported to have urged this compensation.