In this week’s episode, Rai is joined by Michael Page. Page is the Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division (MENA) at Human Rights Watch. The two discuss migrant workers rights in relation to international labour, and especially as it relates to the FIFA World Cup. When Qatar won the FIFA World Cup bid in 2010, they immediately began recruiting labourers to build all the necessary infrastructure. This has meant roads, stadiums, hotels – and anything you can think of that would host millions of people over the course of a month.
Thousands of people have fled to Qatar from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and other Southeast Asian and African countries looking for employment opportunities to feed their families. Unfortunately, their rights have not been protected and many have been injured, if not killed, in the process. Find out more from Michael Page about how Qatar’s FIFA representatives exploited these vulnerable populations, and how you can help from home.
Check out Pay Up FIFA – https://www.hrw.org/PayUpFIFA
If you want to keep up with Michael Page:
Human Rights Watch – https://www.hrw.org/about/people/michael-page
Twitter – @MichaelARPage
Global Rights Defenders 