Australia's national football team was moved Thursday by the "
suffering
" that accompanied the organization of the World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first team qualified for the competition to openly criticize the host country.
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"
We recognize the significant progress and legislative reforms that have taken place in Qatar in recent years to recognize and protect workers' rights and we encourage all stakeholders to continue along this path of reform
," writes the Football Association of Australia in its statement. communicated.
“
However, we have also learned that the tournament has been associated with the suffering of migrant workers and their families and this cannot be ignored
,” the federation continues.
The press release is accompanied by a short video in which appear 16 players of the Socceroos team.
“
For the past two years, we have been dedicated to understanding and getting to know the situation in Qatar better
,” explain the players.
“
We are not experts but we have listened to groups such as Amnesty (International), Fifa
” and, “
more importantly, foreign workers in Qatar
”.
The players go on to mention the reforms taken by the Qatari authorities on working conditions in the country but believe that these changes are "
incoherent
" and could be improved.
Since Fifa awarded the World Cup to Qatar in 2010, the first Arab country to organize the event has been criticized for the treatment of LGBT people but also of foreign workers and women or even the air conditioning of seven of its eight stadiums. .
Human rights organizations such as HRW and Amnesty International have called on Qatar and Fifa to create a compensation fund for workers who are victims of the World Cup construction sites, endowed with 440 million dollars, the equivalent of the promised sports endowments. to the 32 selections lined up.
Qatar, for its part, claims to have carried out numerous reforms in recent years.
Efforts still need to be made in terms of their implementation, however, said the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, Luca Visentini, during a visit to Doha this week.
