The Abuse of Migrant Workers by World Cup 2022 Hosts, Qatar: A Case to Be Made for Alternative Dispute Resolution

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (“FIFA”) is an international organization that has described itself as a body that exists to develop the game of football for the benefit of the entire world. One of its visionary goals is to develop and deliver sustainable tournaments around the globe. Despite this, more than 6,500 migrant workers from primarily Asian countries—such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka—have died in Qatar since it won the right to host World Cup 2022 ten years ago. While FIFA is not directly responsible for the numerous deaths in Qatar that have resulted from these new construction programs, the organization is actively betraying its goals and has only sought to include countries that will bribe FIFA officials—ostensibly “paying to play.” Although these death records are not categorized by occupation or place of work, many workers who have died in this timeframe were employed on World Cup infrastructure projects. Despite “internal investigations,” FIFA has not found evidence to warrant stripping Qatar of its hosting rights for 2022. This post was originally published on the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution website on November 3, 2021. The original post can be accessed via the Archived Link button above