Thousands of migrant workers have died since Qatar was awarded to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Read their stories.

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Since Qatar was awarded the 2022 FIFA World Cup, thousands of migrant workers have died. In search for answers, journalism platform Blankspot collected stories directly from their families. We then created Cards of Qatar – a catalogue of football cards that instead of facts about players tell the stories of the workers who never returned.

Read their stories and long form articles highlighting the reality of the situation for the migrant workers who built Qatar. Read more

THE CARDS


Migrant worker
Nepal
In memory of

Yam Bahadur Rana

1986—2020
Years
of
Age
34
World
Cup
Qatar
22
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
Nepal
In memory of

Yam Bahadur Rana

1986—2020
Yam Bahadur Rana from Nepal died in Qatar on February 22, 2020, at the age of 34. He was married and had two children: a daughter who was 11 and a son who was 13 years old. The death certificate states the cause as “acute heart failure due to natural causes”. Yam worked as a security guard at Hamad International Airport. His wife Bhumisara Rana tells Amnesty International that she believes his death has to do with the working conditions. – He had to sit out under the sun for long periods. I think he had a heart attack because he was dehydrated. He never said he was sick, she tells Amnesty.
— told to the journalistic platform Blankspot
FULL STORY
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
Bangladesh
In memory of

Abul Hashem

1974—2019
Years
of
Age
45
World
Cup
Qatar
22
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
Bangladesh
In memory of

Abul Hashem

1974—2019
The Bangladeshi migrant worker Abul Hashem died in Qatar due to “acute cardio respiratory failure” at a construction site neary Doha.  On the day of his death, he was working at a construction site in Al Rayyan in Doha and according to the family he was setting tiles. The other coworkers immediately called an ambulance which took Hashem to the hospital where he was declared dead. Abul Kalam Azad, the son of deceased migrant says that his father had no previous history of heart problems.
— told to the journalistic platform Blankspot
FULL STORY
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
India
In memory of

Rada Chinna Ramoji

1980—2021
Years
of
Age
41
World
Cup
Qatar
22
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
India
In memory of

Rada Chinna Ramoji

1980—2021
Throughout the past year, Rada Chinna Ramoji often told his wife Rada Sujatha that they were missing people because of Covid-19. - In January, there was a shortage of manpower and he started working 12-hour shifts, sometimes as much as 16-hours. He was always awake, says Mrs. Rada Sujatha. He often talked to his wife about how hard his job as a cleaner was. He talked about the lack of sleep, and how bad it hurts to have to get up for so long - but he was healthy. Sometime between January 24 and 25, Ramoji died. - I was told that he died of a heart attack in his sleep in the morning, says the widow Rada Sujatha.
— told to the journalistic platform Blankspot
FULL STORY
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
Nepal
In memory of

Durga Kumari Bhandari

1987—2020
Years
of
Age
33
World
Cup
Qatar
22
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
Nepal
In memory of

Durga Kumari Bhandari

1987—2020
Narayan Prasad Parajuli and Durga Kumari Bhandari worked in Qatar. Married for 15 years. - Our life was good. Until one day my wife suddenly got a lightning headache, remembers Narayan Prasad Parajuli. At the hospital, the doctors assessed that she had a brain tumor. The treatment started immediately but she died after eight months. - I still have not told Nayan that his mother is dead. He still thinks she's in the hospital and he still texts her. Personally, I don’t think I will ever be happy again, says Narayan Prasad Parajuli.
— told to the journalistic platform Blankspot
FULL STORY
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
Nepal
In memory of

Tul Bahadur Gharti

1986—2020
Years
of
Age
34
World
Cup
Qatar
22
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
Nepal
In memory of

Tul Bahadur Gharti

1986—2020
Tul Bahadur Gharti from Nepal died on the night of May 28, 2020, at the age of 34. His death certificate issued by the Qatari authorities states that his death was due to "acute heart failure due to natural causes". "He never complained of any symptoms. I have a hard time believing that he would just die," Ms Bipana told Amnesty International. She wanted his body to be autopsied, but was told by his neighbors in Qatar that it would not be possible to determine the cause of death. "We had no children of our own and it feels as if they set my husband on fire and as if I am burning in oil".
— told to the journalistic platform Blankspot
FULL STORY
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
Bangladesh
In memory of

Mohammad Shahid Miah

1991—2020
Years
of
Age
29
World
Cup
Qatar
22
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
Bangladesh
In memory of

Mohammad Shahid Miah

1991—2020
The heavy rains in Qatar in the autumn of 2020 were a death sentence for Mohammad Shahid Miah. The water found its way to the floor where he lived and reached the electricity. When Miah stepped on the wet floor, he was electrified and died. Mohammad Shahid Miah had paid a recruitment company more than $ 4,800 for the job in Qatar. The debt remains after his death and his parents now have to pay. His father says they are still waiting for compensation from the government.
— told to the journalistic platform Blankspot
FULL STORY
cardsofqatar.com

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