Qatar World Cup 2022: tournament chief faces criticism for migrant worker death comment
The Qatar World Cup chief executive is facing backlash from human rights groups for his comment that “death is a natural part of life” when he was asked about a migrant worker’s death at the tournament.
Fifa said it was “deeply saddened” following the news of the death of the worker, who reportedly fell to his death as he attempted to do repairs on a building during the group stages.
In an interview with Reuters, tournament boss Nasser Al Khater said he was “disappointed” at journalists’ questions on the matter.
“The Qatari official’s comment displays a callous disregard for the migrant worker who has died,” Human Rights Watch representative Rothna Begum said.
“His statement that deaths happen and that it’s natural when it does, ignores the truth that many migrant worker deaths were preventable.”
Migrant worker’s death – what we know
The migrant worker was a Filipino worker who died after falling to his death while carrying out repairs at a resort used as a training base by the Saudi Arabian team, The Athletic reported.
Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers has been a central controversial topic for the Qatar World Cup.
The tournament’s supreme committee said the worker was “not working under its remit” and the incident took place “on property not under its jurisdiction.”
The death is now being investigated by the Qatari authorities.
“This is something you want to talk about right now?” Al Khater said. “I mean, death is a natural part of life, whether it’s at work, whether it’s in your sleep.
“Of course, a worker died. Our condolences go to his family. However, I mean it is strange that this is something you want to focus on as your first question.”
He added: “Look, workers’ deaths has been a big subject during the World Cup. Everything that has been said and everything that has been reflected about workers’ deaths has been absolutely false.
“This theme, this negativity around the World Cup has been something that we’ve been faced with.
“We’re a bit disappointed that the journalists have been exacerbating this false narrative. And honestly, I think a lot of the journalists have to ask themselves and reflect on why they’ve been trying to bang on about the subject for so long.
‘Vast numbers of deaths written off as natural causes’
Ella Knight, Amnesty International migrants’ labour rights researcher, said: “Unfortunately, Mr Al Khater is mistaken when he says that every fatality is investigated. This is simply not true.
“We and others have been calling on the Qatari authorities to conduct such investigations on workers’ deaths for years to no avail.
“Instead, they continue to simply write off vast numbers of deaths as being due to ‘natural causes’ despite the clear health risks associated with working in extreme temperatures.
“It goes without saying that the Government should be investigating this most recent tragic case, as well as the deaths of all others. Every single family who has lost a loved one as a result of their working conditions in Qatar deserves answers and remedy for their loss.”
