Qatar’s authorities banned all types of gatherings this week in a bid to cease the unfold of the Covid-19 coronavirus – however for migrants working on Fifa 2022 World Cup building websites, the measures don’t apply.

It’s “enterprise as ordinary” for constructing initiatives, says The Guardian, in its newest “exploitation in focus” function. And despite the ban on gatherings, the paper says packed buses may very well be seen heading to the websites the place 1000’s of employees “proceed to toil” within the run-up to the Fifa mega-event.

After a controversial profitable bid for the 2022 World Cup, Qatar’s preparations have additionally frequently been below the microscope, with employees’ residing circumstances the topic of research by human rights teams.

The Guardian’s newest report sheds extra mild on the migrants and the challenges they now face amid the brand new coronavirus which has unfold internationally.

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537 instances, zero deaths

The most recent figures from the John Hopkins Coronavirus Useful resource Middle state that Qatar has recorded 537 instances of the virus, however no deaths. In accordance with Reuters, the Gulf state’s outdated industrial zone has “emerged as a scorching spot for the coronavirus” and is placing many migrant employees who dwell and work within the space at danger.

Final week the information company contacted the Qatar Authorities Communication Workplace (GCO) to investigate about the place the instances had been situated.

The GCO mentioned: “Nearly all of [coronavirus] instances in Qatar so far have been situated within the Industrial Space. Each effort is being made to stop the unfold of the illness in Qatar and defend each member of the inhabitants. In consequence, some areas of Qatar have been cordoned off to include the virus.”

Nonetheless, the GCO didn’t verify how many individuals have been below lockdown or the variety of migrant employees who had examined constructive for Covid-19.



‘Not proof against the virus’

Labourers informed The Guardian that though the lengthy building shifts proceed there are solely restricted well being checks in place. The paper says they’re notably weak due to their cramped residing circumstances and “how carefully they work together with others in labour camps and on the job”.

Some migrants say they haven’t any alternative however to work. A Kenyan building employee, who is just not employed on the World Cup mission, mentioned: “I fear rather a lot about getting the virus, however I would like the cash.”

In the meantime, in response to the Qatari authorities’s measures, one social media consumer wrote: “How will building employees preserve social distancing? Nobody cares about our security. Do you assume we don’t need to dwell? Do you assume we don’t need to see our households?”

Qatar has the third-highest quantity within the Gulf area, behind Iran (29,406 instances) and Saudi Arabia (1,012).

In a plea for stricter measures one other employee added: “We’re not robots. We’re not proof against the virus.”

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