How EU banks underwrote the Qatar World Cup
Fair Finance International's new report shows that almost half (47 percent) of the financing to construction and hospitality companies active in Qatar is provided by European banks, pension funds and insurance companies...
However both sectors have been rife with human-rights violations, with documented abhorrent treatment of migrant workers without whom this World Cup wouldn't be possible...
The report shows that financial institutions provided loans and underwritings with a total value of $85.7bn [€83bn], to the main construction and hospitality companies since early 2019 with 47 percent of the total identified financing being provided by European financial institutions...
Although financial institutions usually do not commit human rights violations themselves, they facilitate business activities, by providing financial services, that may cause human rights or environmental violations...
Yet none of the financial institutions contacted in our report were able to share evidence that they use their influence to enable access to remedy for victims of harm in Qatar as part of their engagement with the selected companies...