The World Cup and Qatar’s Treatment of Migrant Workers

The World Cup and Qatar share a history of worker abuse and exploitation. The combination of the entertainment spectacle and the country’s practices created a crisis marked by migrant worker deaths and inhumane working conditions.

As the most expensive World Cup in history, Qatar spent $300 billion building stadiums, facilities, and accommodations. Concerns about the pressure on migrant workers escalated in the lead-up to the tournament.

Laws and Legislation

Years before the World Cup began, Qatar introduced legislation aimed at protecting migrant workers. In 2017, Qatar signed an agreement with the UN International Labour Organisation (ILO), outlining a plan with five main aims: health and safety, pay and recruitment, workers' rights, access to justice, and reforming the sponsorship system.

In 2018, the ‘exit permit’ requirement for most workers was abolished, and in 2019, the same was done for remaining domestic workers. In 2020, Qatar introduced the ‘No-Objection Certificate’ system, allowing workers to change jobs without requiring their employer's permission. A mandatory minimum wage was also introduced.

However, organisations like Amnesty International argued that these changes would only be effective if they were properly enforced and implemented to ensure the safety of vulnerable migrant workers. Despite some reforms, systems like the Kafala sponsorship system and the practice of passport confiscation persisted.

The Kafala system gave employers control over workers’ employment and immigration status. This system, common in most Gulf countries, allowed employers to renew permits for workers, and failure to do so could result in penalties for the workers. This system contributed to widespread abuse, including wage reduction and wage theft.

Deaths and Working Conditions

Qatar, a country with a population of just under three million, has an estimated two million migrant workers. During the World Cup construction, the Guardian reported at least 6,500 migrant worker deaths. These numbers were based on government sources, with countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka reporting 5,927 deaths of migrant workers from 2011 to 2020.

Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010, resulting in a shocking average of twelve migrant deaths per week. Additionally, Pakistani authorities reported 824 deaths of Pakistani workers between 2010 and 2020, although numbers from the Philippines and Kenya remain unconfirmed.

David Goldblatt, writing in the London Review of Books, noted that "not all migrant deaths are worker deaths", suggesting that the numbers may not be entirely accurate. However, human rights groups still estimate the death toll to be in the thousands. Initially, tournament organisers claimed only 40 deaths, but World Cup Chief Hassan Al-Thawadi later stated that around 400-500 migrant deaths occurred as a result of the World Cup.

The work environment was reported to be dangerous and unsuitable for migrant workers, contributing to many fatalities. The conditions were described as lacking safety precautions, with workers exposed to prolonged heat. One worker reported being threatened for drinking water or taking breaks at construction sites.

Many workers returned home with long-term health conditions or debilitating injuries. Despite Qatar’s introduction of laws and legislation, hazardous working conditions persisted, and the safety of workers remained disregarded. As a result, the World Cup faced significant backlash, with calls for accountability for the exploitation of workers, who were treated as mere tools for entertainment and leisure.

The Future of the World Cup

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It will be Mexico's third time hosting, the US's second, and Canada's first. To prevent the mistreatment of workers from being repeated, human rights organisations have already united to ensure that FIFA prioritises workers' safety. AFL-CIO (a federation of 57 labour unions in the US), along with several other labour and human rights groups, sent a letter to FIFA demanding acceptable labour standards for the 2026 World Cup. However, as the tournament approaches, no concrete regulations have been established to ensure safe working environments.

The letter stated: “Without such guarantees, FIFA essentially stands to profit from low wages, unsafe working conditions, racial discrimination in hiring and promotion, gentrification, and other forms of skewed development that make low-income communities dread the arrival of a mega-sporting event.”

Despite the unified effort of labour and human rights groups, FIFA was criticised for its inadequate response. The director of the international department at AFL-CIO described FIFA’s response as "just a superficial response" with "no initial commitments and no serious engagement with us." The coalition explained that FIFA’s reply was late and that their response was both insufficient and dismissive of their demands.