Lost hopes, hell-like life.. Qatar puts workers to tough test after World Cup

Senegal’s loss to England on Sunday dampened Africa’s hopes of lifting its most expensive soccer tournament in Qatar, but migrant workers watching the match in a particularly encouraging area still hope to receive the biggest prize ever: their wasted rights and continued work after the World Cup, in less dangerous conditions and in respect for their rights.

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Lost hopes

Voiceover of America network confirmed that Senegal’s defeat at the House Stadium yesterday, Sunday, with three clean goals, confirms that Morocco is the only athletic representative of the continent remaining in the tournament, but in the Asian city, some 60 km away, some African fans were actually looking beyond the final. Ugandan Wambaka Isaac said, “Those who came to participate in the World Cup only will definitely return after the World Cup, but I still wish to get my rights and continue my work in a good environment unlike the one that existed before the World Cup started.” He added, “We will go to cleaning jobs, offices, everywhere (there is) a lot of work, and of course work continues to build, amid great hopes to get our wasted rights.”

“Isaac, who proudly wore his country’s national team shirt, was one of thousands of migrant workers who made their way to the fan zone after sundown to watch Sunday’s 16-leg match between France and Poland before England and Senegal topped the concerns of all migrant workers in the workers’ village, the tournament comes after Qatar came under fire from human rights groups over the treatment of its migrant workers, who together with other foreigners make up the majority of the population.”

Hell in Qatar

A young man from Kenya, when asked if he would be able to stay after the final match, said, “It’s complicated,” and explained, “I’ve worked on Lucille Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, I’ve worked for a contractor, so you go wherever they send you, we’re the guards today ; Next week we may be in construction again,” he said, adding “We were working in the summer when it was so hot, so long days, so hot I was so tired all the time, “I really want to leave here, but there is no work in my country and here life is like hell, I haven’t made a decision yet.”

For Rahim, a joint driver from Bangladesh, his three and a half years in Qatar have been difficult but there is no work in his village, so he feels he has no choice but to stay, saying, “I work every day, seven days a week, first I have to pay a company for the car, it is not for me and then I have to pay for my food and rent, and what remains is to be sent to my family,” he said, adding, “During the pandemic, there was no work, so we were not living on anything I try to save to go home; I haven’t seen my family in three and a half years, but if I go home there is no work so I have to have more money.”

Many workers rely on their employers to allow them to stay in Qatar and the goal is to ensure they can stay in a job, the American network said.