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Article

16 Aug 2022

Author:
Hazar Kilani, Doha News (Qatar)

Qatar says has paid millions to World Cup workers as HRW urges compensation

With 100 days until the World Cup kicks off, Human Rights Watch has urged FIFA and Qatar on Friday to enhance compensation for migrant workers and their families, as Doha confirmed it has paid millions over four years.

In a statement sent to Doha News, a Qatari government official pointed towards the the Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund that was established in 2018 to disburse payments awarded by the Labour Dispute Settlement Committees when a company becomes insolvent and is unable to pay workers.

“By the end of last year, the fund had disbursed close to QAR 600m (€160m) to over 36,000 workers,” the statement read, noting companies in Qatar are legally required to compensate the families of all workers who die in a work-related incident.

HRW did not indicate how much compensation is still required, but Amnesty International has requested FIFA pay USD 440 million in reparations to workers — the same amount the football global body will give in prize money to the 32 national federations whose teams are competing in Qatar.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ministry of Labor has stated that a Workers’ Support Fund in Qatar has given out $164 million in compensations to 36,373 workers from 17 different countries since 2020.