In 2010 Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup after the FIFA committee decided that they're bid was the most convincing and most practical (although it is believed that Qatar actually bribed delegates for votes). Qatar presented an in depth video depicting completely new infrastructure and 7-8 brand new, technologically advanced stadiums and complexes to accommodate every single World Cup match. It is project estimated to be worth nearly $220 billion, about 60 times the cost of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. However, the biggest question involving this project was figuring out who was going to all of the labor due to the fact that Qatar has a small population who for the most part belong to a high social class and would not be interested in hard labor. Qatar's answer to this problem was migrant workers from countries such as Nepal, Pakistan, the Pacific Islands, India and a variety of other third-world and impoverished countries who now make up nearly 90% of the population (1.7 million of 2.2 million).
Many of Qatar's migrant workers have fallen victim to a sponsorship program called the kafala system which basically ties a migrant worker down to a sponsor who is responsible for them. This labor system uses deceit and human trafficking techniques to attract workers just looking to make money for their families. Once workers sign the contracts they most often don't understand they are forced to pay recruitment fees and give up their passports. Once they arrive in Qatar, these workers are trapped in the country unless their sponsor gives up their passport. Many do not receive and pay for months and are threatened when they complain to their sponsors. Migrant workers, although they make up so much of the population, are considered illegal aliens in Qatar and have no option to gain their citizenship. They are trapped in a country where they are essentially not welcome.
Along with being considered aliens in Qatar, many of the migrant workers live in squalid, crowded and run-down housing. One building consisting of 20 bedrooms and one kitchen area and one bathroom is usually home to over 300 men. The buildings usually have dirt floors and are crumbling and decrepit. There is no air-conditioning or proper protection from Qatar's harsh elements, and some buildings lack electricity and running water. In some cases housing is divided based on race and religion. Many men become sick from the unsanitary conditions and disease is usually widespread in most of the complexes.
Not only are living conditions terrible, working conditions are even more dangerous for these workers. Temperatures in the Arabian desert of Qatar can reach over 122 degrees Fahrenheit and workers often work for 12-18 hours in the hot sun with little to no breaks. This heat is the reason the World Cup for 2022 has been moved to the winter for the first time ever, as it is a concern for the players and fans. Many workers report being denied drinking water and others often beg for food or go days without eating. Also, construction areas are not regulated and can become many dangerous. Many migrant workers have died in construction related accidents.
All of these aspects of a migrant worker's life have resulted in an unprecedented amount of migrant worker deaths. It is estimated that since construction began in 2010, between 1,200 and 1,800 migrant workers have died in Qatar. A majority of workers die due to heart attack and heat exhaustion, along with construction accidents. A smaller amount have died due to disease. When these workers die Qatar usually says it is due to "natural causes" or they do not record it properly, this is why the death toll is not definite. Dead workers are sent back to their villages in unmarked coffins, only for families to open it themselves to see if it is their loved on this time. It is estimated that if things do not change that at least 7,000 workers will die before the first ball is kicked at the 2022 World Cup.
Unfortunately Qatar and FIFA are doing little to lessen the suffering of these migrant workers. Qatar widely denies that any of these offenses exist and that they're migrant workers are being treated just fine. Along with Qatar's denial, FIFA has done nothing to force Qatar's hand. With so much going on with the FIFA corruption and FBI probe, Qatar's migrant workers have unfortunately been swept under the rug. No power figure in FIFA has been able to take the authority to fix any of this. Along with that, Qatar has FIFA wrapped around it's finger with bribes and unfortunately money-hungry FIFA officials only have their best interest in mind. These third-world migrant workers really mean nothing to them, even though this World Cup would never happen without them. Some small regulations have been made against the sponsorship system and the construction sites, however it is too little too late as workers continue to live in terrible conditions and die every day.
FIFA accepted a project from Qatar that was impossible to get done without the exploitation of migrant workers simply due to greed and self-interest. This has now created a modern case of slavery and human trafficking that is killing innocent workers every day. Unfortunately too much time has gone by and too many workers have suffered to completely fix this situation, and Qatar and FIFA seem destined to carry out this atrocity until the first kickoff in 2022. People have protested, documented and informed about these horrors but little still seems to be done. With so much blood already spilled and so much more to eventually come this World Cup will most likely be the most shameful and scandalous in the history of the tournament. It is so sad that a game that brings the world together and does so much good can be the reason for the abuse of nearly 2 million migrant workers. Perhaps if we continue to protest, document, inform and spread awareness about this situation something can be done to stop the deaths of so many innocents in the name of the 2022 World Cup.
