As per reports: Human Rights Watch has raised serious concerns about the potential for widespread abuse of migrant workers if Saudi Arabia is awarded the 2034 World Cup.
They have urged FIFA not to grant Saudi Arabia the hosting rights without ensuring that there are strong protections in place for these workers.
The report, titled “Die First, And I’ll Pay You Later,” highlights several troubling issues faced by migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. These include being forced to pay illegal recruitment fees, experiencing forced labor, having their wages stolen, and working in extremely harsh conditions.
The report is based on interviews with over 150 current and former workers, as well as families of those who have died while working in Saudi Arabia.
One of the key points in the report is that Saudi Arabia plans to build most of the 15 stadiums needed for the World Cup, along with hotels, rail, road, and airport upgrades. This massive construction effort will require a significant amount of labor, much of which will come from migrant workers.
Human Rights Watch is concerned that without proper oversight and commitments to protect these workers, the 2034 World Cup could see similar abuses to those that occurred during the preparations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In essence, Human Rights Watch is calling for FIFA to ensure that Saudi Arabia commits to protecting the rights and well-being of migrant workers before awarding them the World Cup.
They want to prevent a repeat of the severe labor abuses that have been documented in other large-scale construction projects in the region
