French judicial authorities will open an investigation on Wednesday into a French construction company which built sports venues in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.
French news website Daily Reports has stated that this will be the first time that a European country has opened an investigation into possible violations of the rights of foreign workers in Qatar.
VINCI, the company being investigated, has announced that the courts have asked its subsidiary, VINCI Construction Grand Projets, to prepare to face charges as part of an investigation into working conditions on construction sites.
The group has already denied allegations of “forced labour” and “trafficking in human beings” which were brought forward by an investigating judge in the city of Nanterre just two weeks prior to the start of the tournament. The allegations refer specifically to complaints lodged by NGOs and former workers from India and Nepal.
Judicial authorities have not yet specified what types of charges the company may face if it is found to have broken laws relating to the controversy.
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