There are 400,000 Nepalese workers in Qatar at the moment (Picture: AP)

Construction workers building stadiums for World Cup 2022 in Qatar have been told they can’t go back to Nepal to bury their loved ones or visit relatives following the earthquakes.

Nepal has also taken the unusual step of criticising Fifa and its commercial partners for the first time, according to the Observer.

Labour minister Tek Bahadur Gurung said: ‘After the earthquake of 25 April, we requested all companies in Qatar to give their Nepalese workers special leave and pay for their air fare home.

‘While workers in some sectors of the economy have been given this, those on World Cup construction sites are not being allowed to leave because of the pressure to complete projects on time.




‘They have lost relatives and their homes and are enduring very difficult conditions in Qatar. This is adding to their suffering.’

There are 400,000 Nepalese workers among 1.5million migrants working on the massive building project.

Gurung added that Fifa and its rich sponsors – which include Coca-Cola, Adidas, Visa, and Sony – are ignoring Nepal because it is a ‘small, poor country’.

It is the first time one of the countries involved in supplying workers has spoken out against the treatment of its people.

Gurung said: ‘Things are very difficult for the Nepalese and other workers in Qatar, but we have to help them and cannot stay silent any longer.’