Labour rights and the Qatar World Cup 2022
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In December 2010, Qatar won its bid to host the 2022 World Cup. In preparation, Qatar will spend an estimated US$100 billion on infrastructure, including a new airport, roads, hotels and stadiums.
The international media, unions and human rights organizations have shone a spotlight on abuses of migrant workers’ rights in Qatar. Major concerns include the exploitative “kafala” sponsorship system; lack of freedom of association / right to form unions; confiscation of passports; and harmful working and housing conditions. The World Cup provides an opportunity to push for change.
This page features the latest developments on labour rights in Qatar. It also provides an overview of what key actors are doing – from international unions to the Qatari Government itself. And it highlights the role and responsibilities of companies operating in Qatar.
Related stories and components
Qatar: World Cup organising body announce one death & 1,100 COVID-19 infections among workers
1,100 of the 40,000 workers on World Cup sites have been infected with COVID-19 with one worker dying from the virus. The figures are only the second to be released publicly by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy since the outbreak of the...
Qatar: Amnesty Intl. finds 100 workers subject to labour exploitation on World Cup stadium; incl. co. comments
Construction workers on Qatar World Cup 2022 Al Bayt stadium have been subject to wage delays of up to 7 months and other exploitative practices, an Amnesty International report reveals....
Qatar: Workers on World Cup sites contract Covid-19, despite organisers' "precautionary measures"
In March 2020, reports emerged of a spike in cases of Covid-19 among workers in a crowded labour camp outside Doha. The jump in the number of cases was attributed to the cramped, unsanitary living conditions of the labour camps and a lack of sanitation...
Qatar: Documentary highlights Covid-19 risks to migrant workers despite Govt. taking protective steps
In April 2020, German news outlet DW released an investigative documentary highlighting concerns that construction of World Cup infrastructure is continuing, raising the risk of Covid-19 infections among migrant workers....
Outreach to companies on COVID-19 regarding the protection of migrant workers in Qatar and the UAE
Read our briefing...
FIFA lawsuit (re migrant workers, Qatar)
In December 2016, two trade union organizations, and a Bangladeshi worker filed a lawsuit in Switzerland against FIFA. They allege FIFA’s complicity in the alleged abuse of migrant workers in Qatar. In January 2017, the Swiss courts dismissed the...
Qatar World Cup: Annual report on workers' welfare reveals 9 migrant stadium workers died in 2019, bringing total to 34 since construction began
In March 2020, the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy published its 5th annual report on worker welfare on projects for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The report covers the period from February to December 2019. During the reporting period, t...
Qatar World Cup: report reveals 34 stadium worker deaths in 6 years
Author: Pete Pattisson, Guardian (UK)
Nine migrant labourers working on the stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar died in 2019, the “supreme committee” organising the event has announced, bringing the number of deaths on World Cup projects to 34, since construction began six years ago....
- Related stories: Qatar World Cup: Annual report on workers' welfare reveals 9 migrant stadium workers died in 2019, bringing total to 34 since construction began Qatar: Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy launches Workers' Welfare Standards, initiates internal and external monitoring for 2022 World Cup contracts
- Related in-depth areas: Labour rights and the Qatar World Cup 2022
Qatar: 9 migrant workers for the 2022 World Cup died in 2019
Author: AFP
Nine labourers on World Cup 2022 projects died in the past year, Qatari organisers said on Wednesday, stressing that none of the deaths were a result of accidents at tournament projects. All but one of the dead who suffered health issues had yet to...
Kenya: Increasing number of construction workers recruited "illegally" and abused in Qatar
Author: Omondi Onyatta, The Star (Kenya)
"Kenyans being duped to build stadiums in Qatar - Muhuri," 9 Feb 2020...