Qatar 2022 plagued by controversy

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar is considered by many to be the most controversial sports mega-event for many years, with issues such as basic human rights and workers’ rights in the spotlight
 

Lusail Stadium, Doha


$200bn Figure claimed to have been spent by Qatar to host World Cup, almost 20 times what Russia spent in 2018

6,500 Number of migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka who died in connection with Qatar World Cup from 2010-21, according to report in Guardian newspaper

37 Number of deaths among labourers at World Cup stadium construction sites from 2014-20 – only three of them “work-related” – according to Qatari government

50 Number of foreign labourers who died in World Cup related incidents in 2021 alone, according to International Labour Organisation

14-18 Hours worked per day by many migrant workers in Qatar, particularly in domestic and security sectors, according to Amnesty International
  
119 Qatar’s ranking, out of 180 countries, on World Press Freedom Index – down from high of 74 in 2008. Human rights groups say reporters are likely to face surveillance at World Cup

7 Maximum prison sentence in years for extramarital sex.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says this disproportionately impacts women, who can find themselves prosecuted if they report rape

11 Cases of ill-treatment in detention for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people between 2019 and 2022, according to HRW report in Oct 2022


Sources: BBC, Foreign Policy, The Guardian 
Pictures: Getty Images 
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