BERLIN, Oct. 25 (dpa/EP) –
Three people have died in recent years in the construction works of the stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA has confirmed to dpa, which also reported another 37 more deaths, although the Organizing Committee has assured that they did not occur in the construction sites and were recorded as non-work-related deaths.
Qatar has been criticized for years for the treatment of migrant workers in the country, with Britain’s The Guardian newspaper claiming last year that thousands of workers from Asian countries have died there.
Qatar has said that reforms have been carried out, that the deaths were due to various reasons and were not disproportionate given the number of workers present from those countries. Rights groups have called for a compensation fund that is also supported by the German Football Association (DFB).
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf will travel to Qatar later this month together with German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, saying “the human rights issues discussed around the tournament will be at the center of the trip.” The World Cup will be held from November 20 to December 18.
