After the World Cup, many African migrant workers are stranded in Qatar
Many West African migrant workers for the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar were stranded in Qatar due to lack of money, even though 100 days have passed since the end of the tournament.
The 2022 Qatar World Cup, which was remembered with its exciting finale, was on the agenda not only with the football played, but also with the working conditions of the workers. Although it is claimed that thousands of workers died in the construction of the stadium, the Gulf country is now on the agenda with workers who are stranded for lack of money.
The workers, speaking to The Guardian, said they had been jobless for months and some of them could barely eat. Some workers said they had to ask their poor families back home for help.
THEY WANT MONEY FROM THEIR COUNTRY
Guinea Aboubacar, who has not worked since the World Cup, said: “I haven’t eaten in two days. Ironic, isn’t it? We are in the richest country in the world, but we are begging for money from Africa,” he said.
There are also Nigerian workers in Qatar, who became unemployed after the tournament, as well as Nigerian workers who were tricked into paying huge sums of money to enter Qatar with their Hayya card, which is the permit required to visit the country during the tournament.
THE WORKERS HAVE BEEN SCAM
Workers who were misled by brokers in their own country that their Hayya cards would convert to work visas are stranded in the country.
The validity of the card was recently extended until 2024, but these cards can only be used for tourism and cannot be converted to work visas. For this reason, victims struggle to return to their homes with high debts.
A Nigerian worker named Hakeem is one of those who say he was tricked in his country and taken to Qatar. Hakeem said he came to Qatar by selling all his belongings, including his car, so that he could give around 2 million naira (83,000 Turkish lira) to someone who provided him with a card.
Hakeem says, “I used to make three meals at home, but it’s hard to find one here. I called my friends in Nigeria to help me. I have not earned a single rial since I entered the country. “We’re all sorry to come here,” he said.
AFTER THE TOURNAMENT, THE JOB MARKET COLLAPSES
Also, although not legal in Qatar, visa free workers entered the country on work visas through local sponsors. These workers needed to find their own jobs. While the scheme was illegal, the sponsors who obtained the visas and the intermediaries in the countries of origin benefited greatly.
The most affected workers came from West Africa, including Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Niger. All of these workers are heavily in debt from paying huge fees for visas. While these workers cannot find work after the World Cup, many do not want to return to their countries without paying their debts.
THE BAD REPUTATION OF QATAR
Qatar has faced serious criticism over issues such as low wages, smuggling fees, job security and worker health. It was also claimed that many workers were killed and injured during the constructions.
Qatari and FIFA officials have repeatedly promised that the tournament will be a catalyst for change, but the criticism did not subside until the tournament. FIFA president Gianni Infantino described Qatar’s progress on workers’ rights as “incredible”. However, after the tournament, it was seen that migrant workers continued to endure difficult living and working conditions.