Lausanne - (AFP) - The organizers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar , which will be held from November 20 to December 18, Thursday denied what was stated in a report by a British non-governmental organization about "discrimination and exploitation" in the construction sites of the World Cup stadiums, which was based on Testimonies of about sixty workers.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said in a statement that the 95-page report issued by Equidem, entitled "If We Complain, We Will Be Expelled," is "full of inaccurate information and misleading statements."

Qatar is under criticism for its treatment of migrant workers, especially in the field of construction, despite its implementation of "reforms" according to what "Equidem" acknowledges, in particular by setting a minimum wage of about 207 euros per month and reducing the sponsorship system that prevented employees from leaving the country or changing jobs. without the employer's permission.

But the head of the non-governmental organization, Mostafa Qadri, said in a statement, "We believe that thousands of workers should receive compensation for illegal recruitment fees, unpaid wages and other damages," a demand previously raised by several organizations, including Amnesty International.

The report states that it relied on the testimonies of 60 foreign workers who were employed between 2014 and 2022 in the eight stadiums that will host the tournament, and lists a range of grievances that range from a “culture of fear” at work to exposure to extreme heat, cold and dust, to the impossibility of taking sick leave and non-payment. wages.

The organization also cites two indirect testimonies recalling the fatal fall of a Bangladeshi citizen “in March 2019” and another Chinese “certainly in 2021” at the Lusail Stadium that hosts the final match, in addition to the testimony of a Kenyan worker who said that he witnessed “many deaths” in the same place. and serious injuries among our colleagues," while "work continued normally."

The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy responded that this accusation was "absolutely false, and it was presented without any evidence, like the majority of the report," noting that it spoke in its reports on the preparations for the World Cup about recording "three work-related deaths and 37 non-work-related deaths since 2014."

The committee stressed that "given the measures... envisaged for the safety of workers, it would be practically impossible to conceal or not properly report a work-related death," and considered that "it is inconceivable that fatal accidents were reported by Equidem and not by any media or organization." Other NGOs, such as the International Labor Organization, which opened an office in Doha in 2018.

In a separate statement, FIFA said it was "in contact with its Qatari counterparts to assess the information contained in the report," pointing to "regular independent inspections" by the BWI.