Careless media reporting on Qatar leaves migrant workers more vulnerable
(by Vani Saraswathi for migrant-rights.org - Vani is an Indian journalist living and working in Qatar for the last 16 years.)
The recent Washington Post article and accompanying infographic has gone viral. Like most things on the internet, no one is really concerned about the veracity of content.
Hence, the few people pointing out that these statistics are grossly misrepresented go unheard. Nor has Qatar bothered to issue a rebuttal. Because it’s not blame-free.
Here’s why the latest article is unfair. That infographic compared all expatriate deaths since 2011 in Qatar to deaths at previous world cup venues.
Yes, over a 1000 Asian expatriates have died in Qatar since 2011. Many due to poor living and working conditions.
As yet, none on actual worksites of the world cup stadiums. This does not absolve Qatar of its responsibility and continuing reluctance to clean up its act.
However, this piece is not about deaths. It’s about the rather cantankerous attack on Qatar.
When Qatar won the bid to host the football world cup in 2022, human rights activists rightly saw it as opportunity to draw attention to the exploitation faced by the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the country.
The plan then was to highlight the issue, influence Qatar to both accept the problems and find solutions for it, and host the world cup in fair environment. It was a golden chance for the country to rectify its labour environment, to innovate and host the most important important sporting event in the world.
@wild turkey thank for googling else you wont this news anywhere front page .
I have clearly shown, habib, that you are trying to sell something as the "truth" which isn't the truth. I guess you just want to make media look bad. Too bad you you didn't succeed.
"2,005 people in India's poorest parts have now died in the 45 degree heat"
Source: Mail Online
"Dizzying temperatures have caused water shortages in thousands of Indian villages and killed hundreds more people over the past day, driving the death toll from a weeks-long heat wave to at least 1,826, officials have said."
Source: Al Jazeera
"India's death toll from one of the world's deadliest heatwaves has climbed to more than 2200."
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Do you want more, habib?
habib wants us to believe in something that is not the case, brit.
I have been following this daily and the figures are reported by papers accross the globe.
ya reported but no exact fig how much died ???.
Check it out at the BBC/news/world-asia-india-32955004
You are wrong. The BBC reported daily on that.
In India last week 1100 killed for hot climate most of the people construction worker no media report only
WT: Hats off to you!
"South Africa did pay $10m (£6.5m) to a football body led by Jack Warner, a figure at the centre of Fifa corruption allegations, local media say." Source: BBC.
If SA can do it, Qatar can do it, too. Obviously it works.
PunchLiner: Why have all the guns from the west been directed at Qatar right now? What will the west gain by such attacks? Every now and then the attacks begin as if there has been in advance some time frames set for the attacks. The west has also a lot of stake here. The World Cup would provide many job opportunities to westerners at terms they could never dream of back home. It will be they who would be taking most of the pie while sitting in air conditioned offices, driving fancy cars, brooding over which building of "Pearl Tower" to live in; and not the workers from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh etc who would be toiling in the summer's heat to complete the projects timely. Frankly, the only good thing that may come out from such criticisms is that Qatar may be forced to revamp the old systems of Kafala and NOC and improve working conditions for workers. They have already begun taking such steps with more improvements and changes expected in the near future. Such steps, if taken, would no doubt go to boost Qatar's image and would help quash the negative views of the country that is currently going around. Let's hope for the best.
Yes it was voted for and awarded...and no can probably take it away....but that will not stop the investigations into the corruptions within FIFA.
Even the Garcia report was doctored before it went public...and we heard it straight from the horse's mouth.
The simple fact is that Qatar won the bid. It was voted for and awarded. No one can take the WC away from Qatar.
What can be done is to improve the facilities and working conditions of those labourers working to build the infrastructure
@acchabacha There's no smoke without a fire somewhere, the fact is the selection process was rigged...and that is beyond doubt.
The problem is you can't cover up a lie. It will keep surfacing time and again. The latest news is that Sepp Blatter has admitted corruption within FIFA. You can google that up too.
Ever since Qatar won the rights to hold the World Cup 2022 it has become a prick in the eyes of many in the west. There have been waves after waves of attacks on the country through various organizations and the media. It appears that the country has been placed under a microscope with some groups of people across the world who are ever ready to turn even the smallest molehill into a mountain. The attacks began shortly after Qatar won the rights. There was an immediate furor over corruption and shady dealings. I came across a video that was posted at QL under the cover of a "research study" that was supposed to have been carried out by a student. The video portrayed a one-sided negative image of Qatar and all its problems. I had given my reaction to that video pointing out the lies and the open bias it had toward Qatar.This was followed by the issue of high temperatures during the World Cup. Qatar has taken care of that. They are now talking of safety, and worker deaths, and workers living conditions, and workers wages, and workers rights and, and, and... The pattern of attacks is planned, systematized to be carried out a regular intervals, and reflects clearly a nexus of jealous and devilish minds of western nations who are out to create all sorts of impediments and obstructions in the progress taking place in the country to jeopardize this major event. At the end of the day would I watch a World Cup in Qatar in 2022? You bet your boots I would if I am still around in this world. And frankly all football fans would too, whatever the reservations the west may have about the time of the year, or the way the stadiums were constructed, or the number of unfortunate deaths that took place in their construction, or how the workers lived or got paid etc.
Use media but don't believe it without checking all the facts.
"taking care of each and every citizen." That's right. The bad thing is you are NOT a citizen. Over a million here are NOT citizens. It's easy to "take care" of 300,000 citizens by exploiting a million or more non-citizens.
"With zero crime rate it should be in top ten peaceful countries but surprisingly they put all European countries in the list including Denmark where whale massacre is a popular game and other horrible things happens."
Zero crime in Qatar? You are dreaming. And since when are whales humans?
Perdian, in the news (German TV) today it was said that out of the 14 votes for Qatar, 8 were 'bought'. The money paid to the voters can be traced. Blatter himself voted against Qatar. It seems that the World Cup has not been awarded to Qatar in a clean manner.
I see the effort shown by Qatar State. But not good enough. Deny it is not the solution? Who will look after..
1. Poor HR management. Normally, HR follow owners/GM instructions not following standard international system/law.
2. Safety budget not allocated to run the project, or budget to implement safety just on paper and goes to company pocket.
3. Company hiring Incompetent Project Managements(inexperienced with hi end project and no safety procedure implemented in their native country).
4. Poor safety culture to some companies, Safety has been compromised.
5. High management take for granted in safety and override safety instructions.
6. Poor enforcement by Qatar authority.
7. Safety stop work order almost "illegal" in Qatar. Unfortunately, no stop work. Project still delayed.
Most management for company in Qatar override safety instructions. Even terminated safety personnel who trying to do safety right. Company written Safety plan just scrap of papers.They won't follow it properly.
On careless media reporting. Where is the report to from authorized party to deny the allegations? Any Post mortem?! Accident Statistics?!
This only can shut down the false media reports.
that article is unbiased and type specific ... targeting the flaws of Qatar. is there a perfect country anywhere? At the very least, Qatar is trying its best with a lot of issues specially with regards to labor conditions. Society as a whole is imperfect, it is up to all of us to make it a better place. This media assault targeting Qatar because they got awarded the world cup and some countries who did not get the bid to host, got bitter and now targeting Qatar? wow talk about not moving on.
Why they are targeting Qatar?Because of jealousy? The writer of that article may not have visited India where millions of labors r working in Mumbai Delhi Bangalore in worst loving conditions or other countries. What are the living consitions of oil company wmployees being house arrested almost becoz they get abducted by Boko Haram and all.
Just becoz of getting the chance to host FIFA western countries are uselessly targetting Qatar. Why cant theywrite about the much better life of expats in Qatar? With zero crime rate it should be in top ten peaceful countries but surprisingly they put all European countries in the list including Denmark where whale massacre is a popular game and other horrible things happens.
If werstern media feels what they write is truth than this is sheer blind mindedness of them becoz now whole world knows that who is behind this n what is the reason of unrest in Middle East.
It is much better for westeners to focus where their senators r spending tax payers money to spread the wars rather than spending on their own citizens. Atleast Qatar government is busy is its own progress and taking care of each and every citizen.World class medical facilities are available for everybody here, life is peaceful, Rulers are open minded and progressive.
LLR: "I as an expatriate feel "working in Qatar" is much safer than working in any other western country" - Not as a labourer
I too agree.. western media has exaggerated the issue together with the so called human rights organizations whose hypocrisy in reporting is not hidden and have given birth to tens of conspiracy theories.
First of all accidents do happen, how many people die in west with accidents? However it is only the Qatar and the middle east I noticed ambulance and servicemen reach within four to ten minutes.
Secondly, government has done a lot to the protect the migrant workers in terms of salaries and the provision of their basic necessities like type of accommodation, travel etc. but it is the fault of their own country people.. for example Indians for Indians or collectively Asians for Asians who create problem for their own people...
Thirdly most of the executive directors or the managers of any firm would be from west itself who probably fail to manage properly to implement the local labor laws.
Last but not the least, none of the media talks about the wage difference.. a western/American professional will earn two/three/four times salary than an Asian national for the same designation..
Appreciate the progress made so far like the electronic payment system, undercover CID visits for the inspection..
I as an expatriate feel "working in Qatar" is much safer than working in any other western country.
Vani Saraswathi, you have been in Qatar for 16 years... and yet you have no clue
What u write is utter tripe at best.
Go and sell your silverware somewhere else lady.
The dead people are a fact. It doesn't matter if they were building a stadium or a tower. They died because of insufficient security implementation and control. The government can (could) revoke the license for these companies. It didn't. The living conditions of laborers are miserable, with or without World Cup. Qatar could have changed that, but it didn't. And so on, and so on. Qatar is guilty for not having laws implemented that avoid the above. Qatar is not made 'look bad' in the media. Qatar looks bad.