Qatar rejects compensation fund for World Cup migrant workers as ‘publicity stunt’
- Labour Minister says Qatar is already handing out hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid wages – and accused the Gulf state’s critics of ‘racism’
- Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch led demands for Fifa and Qatar to create fund for workers matching US$440 million World Cup prize money
Qatar has rejected calls for a compensation fund for migrant workers killed or injured during World Cup preparations, with the country’s labour minister calling it a “publicity stunt”.
Labour Minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri said Qatar is already handing out hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid wages, and accused the Gulf state’s critics of “racism”.
Marri said Qatar already has a fund to deal with worker deaths and injuries.
“This call for a duplicative Fifa-led compensation campaign is a publicity stunt,” he said in an exclusive interview. “Our door is open. We have dealt with and resolved a lot of cases.”
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have led demands for Fifa and Qatar to create a fund for workers matching the US$440 million World Cup prize money.
Human rights groups accuse Qatar of under-reporting deaths. The government strongly disputes reports that thousands have died on construction site accidents or from heat-related illnesses in the country’s searing summer temperatures.
