The FIFA World Cup in Qatar has raised numerous criticisms and calls for a boycott, particularly in Europe, because of the ecological, financial and human costs linked to the organization of this competition in this small gas emirate in the Gulf.
In February 2021, the British newspaper
The Guardian
published an investigation revealing that 6,500 migrants (Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis., Nepalese..) would have died building the infrastructure and football stadiums for this World Cup. since 2010.
For its part, Doha has always refuted these figures, putting forward much lower official figures of 37 migrant deaths in Qatar between 2010 and 2022, all causes of mortality combined.
However, in an interview given on November 28 to the British presenter Piers Morgan, the director of the organization of the world, Hassan al-Thawadi, mentioned a figure higher than the previous official figures since "
400 to 500 migrants would have died in total
" in Qatar according to him over this period.
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In reality, Hassan al-Thawadi maintains the official position of Qatar, but the nuance.
It distinguishes between migrant deaths during the construction of stadiums and migrants who died during the construction of other infrastructure.
According to him, three migrants died while building the football stadiums.
Thirty-seven migrants, also working on the stadium sites, are also said to have died, but outside their working hours.
"
We have always been transparent on this
", he declared, before adding that the figures of "
400 or 500 migrants
" who died corresponded to the total number of deaths for the construction of all the infrastructures (hotels, roads, restaurants, etc. needed to host the World Cup.
On the criticism leveled at Qatar, he distinguished between "
constructive
" criticism which would have enabled his country "
to dialogue and improve by discussing with partners
" and criticism based on "
disinformation
", which would not have nothing advances despite "
the requests for dialogue that we have made
".
Qatar is "very proud" to host this World Cup
Beyond these revelations, Hassan al-Thawadi answered other more general questions about the current progress of the World Cup.
He said Qatar was "
very proud to host this World Cup
".
“
When you look at the people on the streets, coming from all over the world and the spectacle given on the football pitches, it's phenomenal.
This is the first World Cup organized in the Arab world
, the victory of Saudi Arabia against Argentina and Morocco against Belgium were incredible for everyone
here
.
According to the tournament director, between 2010 and 2022, Qatar has evolved its labor law in partnership with German and Swiss trade unions to improve health and safety standards for migrant workers.
“
I think the need for reforms was necessary.
These reforms were not made just because we had to organize the World Cup, they are progress that we had to make before we even got the World Cup in 2010
,” he said, adding that the world is a “
catalyst that has made it possible to accelerate these reforms
”.
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Asked about players wanting to wear an armband of support for LGBT people during matches, Hassan al-Thawadi said that these types of mobilizations "
bothered him because they are directed against Qatar, even if on the other hand it did not bother him .
that Europeans do this type of action in Europe
”, then specifying that “
everyone could come with their culture to Qatar to exchange with all cultures during the World Cup with mutual respect
”.
According to him, "
homosexuals are welcome like everyone else in Qatar to visit the country as well as to live there
", but "
public display
" is not part of the country's culture.
Hassan al-Thawadi justified this position by opposing Western values which would be first “
focused on individual rights
” and values of the Arab world and the Middle East which would be first “
focused on religious values
”.
From his point of view, despite this "
opposition
" of values, this World Cup proves that "
we can find a way to coexist
".