Why are we accepting migrant worker deaths in Qatar for the sake of entertainment?

[pieami]

I'm disgusted that we have accepted any deaths for the mere purpose of putting on a sporting event - totally unjustifiable. One death is too many. Why could the event not be held in a country with existing infrastructure?

One reports found "50 workers died and more than 500 others were seriously injured in Qatar in 2021 alone".

I have a feeling there is less of an outrage due to the workers being brown.

The employers are Arab Muslims. So criticism of them might be ‘racist’.

Because your ‘activism’ and outrage doesn’t take into account the bigger picture. If you were really interested in a fix or getting to root cause, you would be posting videos about the abuse and rampant corruption in South Asian countries from where these migrants originate.

No, but that’s neither trendy, nor topical. It’s easier to jump on whichever bandwagon the press wants you to.

The laws do apply to migrant workers- including the ban on slavery and the ban on working outdoors during the hottest part of the day- 10 to 15:30 from 1 Jun to 15 Sept.

There isn’t a law on hours, but for the World Cup FIFA workers they were limited to 10hr days which includes 2hrs overtime (with over time pay). Their passports were not taken from them. There were no bunk beds but regular beds in the accommodation. They had free accommodation and board- it wasn’t taken from their wages. They had TV rooms and computer rooms with video chat to talk to their families. You have to read the actual worker welfare reports. None of the workers on the FIFA World Cup stadiums were modern day slaves.

You obviously have done very little research as the actually 86% of Dubais population that are migrant workers, not 40%.

The situations that you describe are NOT LEGAL in Dubai.

They DO HAPPEN, but it is similar to the modern day slave rings we have found here in the U.K. on our construction sites, car washes, farms and fishing boats. you are confusing the fact that there are modern day slaves in Dubai with what is actually LEGAL and the norm in Dubai.

It’s crazy you are basing your research on Dubai on YouTube videos about the problem of modern slavery there and then thinking that it’s actually legal, when it isn’t, and that all the immigrants there are slaves.

You can find most anything on YouTube. Here’s some research on the slaves in the U.K.

Special Report: Exploited: Britain's Hidden Slaves
m.youtube.com/watch?v=VDcG2iwyGvU

Slavery is closer than you think
m.youtube.com/watch?v=yOe2-j3QzKI

Modern-day slavery’ revealed in UK garment factories
m.youtube.com/watch?v=oSIrkB7o0hY

I agree the world cup should never been awarded to Qatar (nor Russia before them) but we all know it's purely down to money - if you have enough money, you can do whatever you like. It doesn't matter how corrupt you have to be, or how many people die, you're rich and you can afford to pay.

There are a lot of double standards at play though. 3000 people die of workplace accidents and illnesses every single day. About one every two or three days of those are in the UK. People dying because of their job (one that often they ONLY do because they need money to live with) is an accepted part of many industries. Not tolerated, but realistically can't be eliminated. Whether you use gas or electricity, buy food or wear clothes, someone will have died partly because of your behaviour.

In the grand scheme of things, the World Cup deaths are just another statistic, but one that is thrown around by people who (like me) are opposed to it being held in Qatar in the first place.

And @ilyx
May I remind you that according to the Global Slavery Index there are an estimated 136,000 modern day slaves in the U.K., mostly poor migrant workers, whereas there are an estimated 4,000 modern day slaves in Dubai, mostly poor migrant workers.

Where is your outrage against us and our country? Where is your outrage for the fact that 71% of modern day slaves are WOMEN and GIRLS? So forgive me for not being outraged about Dubai having a smaller modern day slavery problem than we have going on under our own noses.