World Cup in Qatar Is 'Deadliest Major Sporting Event' in History, Built on a Decade of Forced Labor

This clip is from the Nov. 21, 2022 broadcast.

As the World Cup begins, "Democracy Now!" looks at the host country of Qatar's labor and human rights record. "This is the deadliest major sporting event, possibly ever, in history," says Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch, who describes how millions of migrant workers from the world's poorest countries have faced deadly and forced labor conditions working on the $2 billion infrastructure. By one count, 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since 2010, when it was awarded the right to host the games. "These are unprecedented labor rights abuses," says Worden, who claims "there's no ability if you're a migrant worker in Qatar to strike for your basic human rights."