Qatar World Cup to leave 4000 workers dead: Guardian

According to a recent report carried by The Guardian, dozens of migrant workers have reportedly died in Qatar and more than 12 workers are dying every week as the country is preparing to host the 2022 World Cup.

Based on the report, about 12 foreign laborers will die each week unless action is taken. The migrant workers are reportedly being abused or exploited under tough living conditions.

The annual death toll among the migrants working on building sites could rise to 600 people a year – almost a dozen a week – unless the Doha government makes urgent reforms, the report says.

It also notes that at least 44 Nepalese laborers died in Qatar only between June 4 and 8 August 2013.

The probe, citing documents from the Nepalese Embassy in Doha, explained that many of the victims died of heart attacks, heart failure, or workplace accidents.

It also found evidence of forced labor on a huge World Cup infrastructure project, noting that some Nepalese men had allegedly not been paid for months.

Some Qatari employers refuse to pay the workers for months to prevent them from running away, the report said, while others routinely confiscate passports and refuse to issue ID cards, reducing the foreigners to the status of illegal migrants.