The European Parliament last month urged nations not to take part in Expo, citing the United Arab Emirates' “inhumane practices against foreign workers” that it said worsened during the pandemic.
The Associated Press
Expo previously said that its 200,000 laborers who built the site worked some 240 million hours in its construction. It had not offered any overall statistics previously on worker fatalities, injuries orThe admission comes after the European Parliament last month urged nations not to take part in Expo, citing the United Arab Emirates' “inhumane practices against foreign workers” that it said worsened during the pandemic.
McGeachin also acknowledged that authorities were aware of cases involving contractors “withholding passports” and engaging in suspect “recruitment practices" and workplace safety violations on site. The UAE, an oil-rich sheikhdom that relies on low-paid migrant labor from Africa, Asia and Arab countries to keep its economy humming, faces long-standing criticism from human rights groups for treating those workers poorly. But officials have battled to present a positive image for Expo, the first world’s fair in the Middle East that seeks to show off Dubai’s pride and draw millions of foreign visitors.