Netherlands postpones trade mission to Qatar due to ‘concerns about conditions of migrant workers’

The Dutch government postponed a hypothetical trade mission to Qatar this month, citing “concerns about the living conditions of migrant workers” who participate in the construction of the World Cup soccer tournament facilities.
The British newspaper “The Guardian” reported that “its calculations revealed that at least 6,500 migrant workers working in the construction of stadiums and other infrastructure elements for the World Cup in Qatar have died over the past ten years.”

“The report opened an extensive debate in Dutch society and parliament,” said Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman Jeroen van Domlin.

The commercial mission, which was to take place in the form of an online conference due to travel restrictions due to the Corona pandemic, was scheduled to take place between March 22 and April 1.

Van Domlin said, Qatar has not yet commented on the Dutch government’s decision.

Most of the parties in the Dutch parliament called last week on the government and the king not to participate in the World Cup next year in protest against the “treatment of migrant workers.”

The human rights organization Amnesty International has repeatedly said that “the tournament organizers’ standards regarding the standard of living of workers are insufficient to prevent violations and provide timely solutions.” It also accused FIFA of not dealing seriously with the human rights violations associated with the tournament.

Qatar announced amendments to its labor laws last August, raising the minimum wage 25 percent to 1,000 riyals ($ 275) per month and canceling the requirement that workers obtain permission from employers before changing jobs.

Source: Reuters