Noël Le Graët reacted coldly to images showing the living conditions of immigrant workers in Qatar and Amélie Oudéa-Castéra was shocked.
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NOToël Le Graët was able to view images showing the living conditions of immigrant workers in Qatar, subcontractors of the hotel that the Blues will occupy in Qatar. The journalists of Further investigation showed him these images. And his reaction shocked the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra. At the sight of the cramped rooms infested with cockroaches, where the workers pile up on bunk beds, the president of the FFF had replied to the journalist: “It is not insoluble, that, these are strokes of paint. There’s still time to fix that. He even added: “I can show you lots of images like that in lots of countries, even maybe not far from here. »
“This reaction shocked me, I found that it was above ground (…), that it lacked humanity and even lucidity”, replied Amélie Oudéa-Castéra on RTL.
“The FFF must take its share of responsibility and do everything in its power to improve the situation on the subject of working conditions and respect for human rights at its base camp. Compared to the very shocking images we saw yesterday, reactions are needed, ”she said.
“I’m not going to let them go on the subject”
These images led the FFF to announce an on-site verification mission, a verification which “made it possible to dismiss the security company” because of “numerous unacceptable irregularities”, explains the federation in a letter of October 2 produced by the emission. At the beginning of October, the minister had sent a letter to the FFF asking it to provide proof of its action concerning human rights during the World Cup in Qatar (November 20-December 18). “I had a first return which, honestly, did not remove the doubts, so I will not let them go on the subject”, explained the minister.
“I want us to be vigilant and irreproachable (…). They are committed to meeting there in the next few days, they have to do the job, ”she said.
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Qatar is the subject of numerous criticisms from NGOs on the respect of fundamental freedoms and human rights, in particular those of foreign workers, who come in particular from Africa and South Asia, who make up the majority of its population.
The minister also affirmed that she would draw all the consequences of the ongoing audit mission at the FFF while new anonymous testimonies from former employees disclosed by Radio France on Wednesday spoke of “inappropriate” behavior by Noël Le Graët, which he “firmly contests”.
“I want this federation to be exemplary in the way it takes up this major issue,” said the minister, referring to gender-based and sexual violence.
“We are going to carry out this (audit) work independently, respecting the contradictory, methodically”, and “my hand will not shake when drawing all the conclusions”, she assured.