A source reveals this to the BBC. The Middle Eastern country won the prestigious tournament in 2010 by beating Australia, the US, Korea and Japan. But the leaders of the International Federation were apparently "convinced" with bribes totaling about 4 million euro. No breakthrough in the situation of migrants, the new slaves forced to build stadiums in the desert.

Doha (AsiaNews) - Qatar will be acquitted of charges of bribing officials of FIFA for the assignment of the World Cup in 2022. This was announced by the BBC sports section. The judgment of the commission of inquiry should be made public in the morning. The rich Middle Eastern country had come under fire of the Federation's  independent commission of inquiry for allegedly having paid about € 4 million in bribes to get the trophy.

According to the source, Hans Joachim Eckert, head of the commission, "will not recommend" a new vote despite the protests of the 2010 losers, namely Australia, United States, Korea and Japan. The decision to give the Middle Eastern country the World Cup was greeted with surprise, because the temperatures and infrastructure on the ground was (and currently still is) completely out of the norm of the competition. However attorney Michael Garcia, appointed by the Board to investigate the matter, found no wrongdoing.

Concern for migrant workers who live in the desert in Qatar to build stadiums needed for the tournament remains very high. More and more Filipinos, Indonesians, Indians and Nepalese choose the country as a destination to find work, but their living conditions are inhumane. Upon arrival they are greeted by work "sergeants" that sequester their documents, make them live in barracks and pay them a pittance. If they complain, they are repatriated or suffer violence and beatings.

In Qatar there are about 70 thousand migrants from Nepal (according to the latest data available for 2010). Each year, another 10 thousand choose Doha as their destination, and approximately 200 die in workplace accidents on an annual basis. According to human rights activists, many "disappear into thin air." In late August 2014, two Nepalese activists investigating the living conditions of their fellow countrymen disappeared after reporting they were being followed by the police. The two sought data on workers engaged in building arenas for the 2022 World Cup.  

 

• qatar
• world
• cup
• 2022
• bribery
• nepal
• forced
• labour
• abuse
• human
• rights