The men's world cup begins in
Qatar this Sunday.
Controversies from human rights
concerns to press restrictions
have shadowed the event.
To host the cup, the tiny gulf
nation went on a stadium
building spree bringing
thousands upon thousands of
migrant laborers.
There have been numerous stories
about the largely south Asian
workforce being mistreated.
More than three dozen have died
on the job.
We partnered with fat rat films
to hear from some of the workers
about their experience with
rampant abuse, low pay, and
squalid living conditions.
>> As the world cup kicks off,
many are now thousands of miles
away.
Back in their home countries
without the money they say they
are owed.
Young men, farm workers Nepal,
who went to Qatar to build
stadiums and hope of building
better lives for themselves.
>> We can earn money here, so we
have to go abroad.
>> I could earn almost double of
what I earn here.
That is why I went.
>> The promise of good wages, a
few years of hard work to
support family and start a nest
big is supportive.
But to secure the job, they must
first pay agents a hefty
recruitment fee, illegal under
Qatar law, but under practice.
A fee they can only afford by
taking out massive loans.
>> This is normal.
Everyone pays.
People say free Visa, free
ticket.
In reality, this does not
happen.
Almost all people pay a
recruitment fee.
>> They borrowed 200,000
dollars, more than a year salary
in Nepal.
>> We were told our expenses
would be reimbursed as soon as
we arrived.
They told us not to worry.
This was all a lie.
>> The winner is Qatar.
>> Since Qatar won the bid to
host the world cup, there have
been numerous reports of worker
exploitation, substandard living
conditions, and worker deaths.
The small gulf state relies on
immigrant labor for its
workforce.
In 2017, it pledged working
conditions.
A commitment to the
international labor
organization.
The adoption of minimum wage,
and labor practices were part of
the head of FIFA.
>> The progress in terms of
human rights is groundbreaking.
>> Now an explosive report from
a human rights organization
alleging the changes were only
surface deep.
The CEO explains in reality,
immigrant workers were still
being subject to systemic abuse
by the companies and officials
in Qatar.
>> We interviewed nearly 1000
workers.
There is a very clear picture.
Workers who have built the
stadiums have been suggested to
forced labor practices.
Some of the biggest companies in
those projects actively hid
those workers from the
monitoring process.
>> It is clear it is a
tournament build.
A spokesman called the report a
completely unbalanced picture of
the significant progress versus
the inevitable challenges that
remain.
But served at dinnertime did not
feel like progress.
>> Sometimes the company gave us
rotten food.
The fish would smell disgusting.
Used to give us diarrhea.
>> Even something as basic as
getting adequate water in the
desert heat was a challenge.
>> It got up to 125 degrees
fahrenheit.
We did not get the water we
needed.
The water we got was almost 90%
ice.
We asked why they did that and
told them it was impossible to
drink water like that.
They froze it because if they
provide a normal water, the
workers would drink more.
>> The only time there was
adequate water was when an
inspection was due.
>> The company was only nervous
when FIFA came to inspect.
>> As part of the 2017 reforms,
regular spot checks were
performed to ensure compliance
with high standards of worker
welfare.
The idea to create a space where
workers could talk directly to
them, but the company made sure
they never got the chance.
>> They would ring the fire
alarm on purpose.
When the workers gathered at the
assembly point, they would turn
off the alarm, make everyone get
on buses, and drive us away from
the stadium.
The company would say we had all
gone for lunch.
>> The systems created in 2017
to hold the companies to account
on treatment were being personal
-- purposefully evaded.
Even two months ago, the head of
the supreme committee overseeing
the games hailed the protections
in place at an annual global
affairs forum.
>> We launched worker welfare
forums within the supreme
committee for the construction
companies involved.
These were set up to ensure that
workers had a safe environment
to raise concerns and grievances
without fear of reprisal.
>> They say their concerns were
ignored, and they knew that
complaining meant they could
lose their jobs.
>> One day, many of us went to
make a complaint, we got loud.
They called all of us to the
camp and said if we did this
again, they would send us back
home.
>> If the foreman complained
about the workers, they could
get fired.
If workers reacted about
anything, they were changed.
Because of this, workers did not
protest at all.
>> They used to punish us for
complaining.
They used to make us sign the
warning letter.
We were in a situation where we
had to tolerate things as they
were.
>> Quitting was not an option.
They were trapped in their
situation by a 36% interest on
the recruitment fee loan and
unpaid wages.
>> I desperately wanted to go
home in those moments.
Then I would remember my
families situation.
Apart from the loan I took to
pay the recruitment fee, my
family had other debts.
We were around $5,300 in debt.
I could not even think of coming
back to Nepal.
>> Eventually, they did go back.
They had to.
He had his work permit taken
away when he tried switching
jobs.
He says under false covid
related pretenses he was
deported.
Neither were paid what they
owed.
$4000 for him, $1700 for him.
>> I had expected to earn $9,000
in these three years, but I earn
one third of it.
>> Not only me, there are
thousands of workers like me who
are not getting what they are
owed.
There are many of us.
>> They are not alone.
Thousands of other workers like
them are each owed thousands of
dollars, in total to about half
$1 billion of money.
Those lives could be transformed
if they compensated those
workers who made the tournament
possible.
>> The teams taking part in the
world cup will share an
estimated $440 million between
them.
They are calling for them to set
aside the same amount as a fund
to reimburse the migrant workers
who made it all possible.
The stages are set for one of
the world's biggest tournaments
to kick off.
The hope is those who help to
build them will not be left