Belgium Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, wears a "One Love" armband on the tribune during the World Cup group F soccer match between Belgium and Canada, at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Nov. 23. At right is Canada's Minister of International Development Harjit Singh Sajjan.Natacha Pisarenko/The Associated Press
International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan has tweeted about raising human rights concerns during his visit to Qatar for the World Cup after opposition criticism.
The NDP and the Bloc took Sajjan to task on Thursday because he had not made any public statement about Qatar’s documented mistreatment of migrant workers and the emirate’s anti-LGBTQ policies.
Both parties had called on the Liberals to diplomatically boycott the games instead of sending Sajjan.
When asked Thursday whether he raised these issues during the trip, Sajjan’s office responded that he was flying home and could not comment.
Soccer may be making headlines for Qatar, but the controversies aren’t going away
Hours after The Canadian Press reported on the criticism of Sajjan’s visit, he tweeted that he met with local labour organizations and that he had “constructive dialogue” with Qatari officials on migrant and LGBTQ rights.
The tweets did not directly criticize the emirate’s policies.
In Qatar, I had a constructive dialogue with the #QatarGov on supporting LGBTQ2I & human rights. I raised the need to continue the ILO’s work improving migrant workers' conditions after the World Cup. I also commended them for their support on #Afghanistan and girls' education. pic.twitter.com/UMFauXoxZS
— Harjit Sajjan (@HarjitSajjan) November 25, 2022