How is Our Complacency Directly Hurting Those in Qatar? -Annelise Pixler
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is to take place in Qatar. As someone who is not very interested in sports, this had very little meaning to me until I watched a small documentary on the production of the arenas. People from Nepal and other surrounding areas are acquiring work visas to go to Qatar to build these arenas for the sole reason of making better money there than in their home country.
These workers are promised good pay, safe housing, and all the good amenities with protective contracts, but as soon as they get there, they realize that it is not at all what they were promised. Once they arrive, their contracts are ripped up and they see the living conditions that they were promised is nowhere to be seen. They live in overcrowded housing without access to proper sanitation. These men are worked so hard that they are dying of cardiac arrest in their early twenties.
So why not leave, right? They can’t. They can only leave if they are provided an exit visa, but the only way to get these visas are through their employers who are not willing to let them leave. The whole reason that these migrant workers are going to Qatar is so they can provide a better life back home for their families, instead, many are dying, leaving their families with no money and no father, son, or husband. The death toll continues to climb with no resolve.
So what now? Is our complacency hurting these people? If we view the World Cup in 2022 are we directly harming these innocent people? What can we be doing to help? What can athletes do? Public figures?
Here are some links to interesting articles surrounding this subject:
https://www.news.com.au/world/asia/death-toll-rises-in-the-lead-up-to-the-2022-world-cup/news-story/43896b31023dd6ab6ed213637fe4d3e7
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/world-cup-2022-qatars-workers-slaves-building-mausoleums-stadiums-modern-slavery-kafala-a7980816.html
These workers are promised good pay, safe housing, and all the good amenities with protective contracts, but as soon as they get there, they realize that it is not at all what they were promised. Once they arrive, their contracts are ripped up and they see the living conditions that they were promised is nowhere to be seen. They live in overcrowded housing without access to proper sanitation. These men are worked so hard that they are dying of cardiac arrest in their early twenties.
So why not leave, right? They can’t. They can only leave if they are provided an exit visa, but the only way to get these visas are through their employers who are not willing to let them leave. The whole reason that these migrant workers are going to Qatar is so they can provide a better life back home for their families, instead, many are dying, leaving their families with no money and no father, son, or husband. The death toll continues to climb with no resolve.
So what now? Is our complacency hurting these people? If we view the World Cup in 2022 are we directly harming these innocent people? What can we be doing to help? What can athletes do? Public figures?
Here are some links to interesting articles surrounding this subject:
https://www.news.com.au/world/asia/death-toll-rises-in-the-lead-up-to-the-2022-world-cup/news-story/43896b31023dd6ab6ed213637fe4d3e7
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/world-cup-2022-qatars-workers-slaves-building-mausoleums-stadiums-modern-slavery-kafala-a7980816.html
Comments
Post a Comment
Let your knowledge, ideas, and innovation be heard. Tell us what you think and know about this topic.