More FIFA and Qatar Issues: Nepalese Workers Denied Leave to Attend Earthquake Victim Funerals

FIFA continues to be awful, a platform that Sepp Blatter stands on. The latest is from The Guardian on Nepalese migrant workers not being allowed leave to return to their home country in the aftermath of earthquakes. While workers in some sectors are being allowed leave to attend funerals and see family following the April earthquakes in Nepal, those working on the World Cup stadiums for 2022 are not.

It’s gotten to the point that the Nepalese government has officially come out criticising FIFA’s role in the worker issues in Qatar.

Tek Bahadur Gurung, Nepal’s labour minister, said:

"“They have lost relatives and their homes and are enduring very difficult conditions in Qatar. This is adding to their suffering.” … “Nothing will change for migrant workers until Fifa and its rich sponsors insist on it. These are the people who are bringing the World Cup to Qatar. But we are a small, poor country and these powerful organisations are not interested in listening to us.”"

FIFA will likely do nothing. After all, Russia is considering using prison labor to assist with the World Cup preparations for 2018. This is the cost of doing business in order to ~~get paid~~ expand to new markets. We’ll update the post in case Sepp Blatter somehow loses his sham election, though.