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
Bangladesh
In memory of

Mohammed Suman Miah

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

Mohammed Suman Miah

1986—2020
Mohammed Suman Miah from Bangladesh died in Qatar on April 29, 2020 at the age of 34. The death certificate from the authorities states that he died of heart failure as a result of natural causes, but nothing about what these causes are. The family had borrowed $ 7,000 for the visa. Eventually, he got a job at a construction site. The temperature when he died was about 38 degrees Celsius in the shade. Suman's colleagues told his family that he died towards the end of the shift from a heart attack and that he was taken to the hospital but that his life could not be saved.
— 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
India
In memory of

Bolumalla Gangadhar

1969—2019
Years
of
Age
50
World
Cup
Qatar
22
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
India
In memory of

Bolumalla Gangadhar

1969—2019
One morning in October 2019, while Bolumalla Gangadhar was in a holiday in India, he screamed in agony in the bathroom. - It was a heart attack, but no one in our family has had heart problems before, says his son Kiran. Even though it has been a while now since the father died during the holiday at home in India, Kiran cannot let go of what happened. How could a completely healthy and fit man suddenly die from a heart attack? - He never said anything about his job. Not even what he did. He only repeated this mantra: "Do not come here. You do not know what it is like here, and you do not want to know it either”.
— 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
Bangladesh
In memory of

Mosharaf Hossen

1980—2018
Years
of
Age
38
World
Cup
Qatar
22
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
Bangladesh
In memory of

Mosharaf Hossen

1980—2018
Mosharaf Hossen decided to migrate to Qatar to fulfill his dream of lifting his family out of poverty. For five years he worked as a mason at different construction sites but newer got payed on a regular basis. “The sudden and untimely death put us, a five-member family in dire hardship and debt bondage,” says Mosharaf’s widow Josna Begum. Her husband died on August 8, 2018 at the age of 38. The official cause of death was “cardiac chock” according to his death certificate.
— told to the journalistic platform Blankspot
FULL STORY
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
India
In memory of

Mandaloji Rajendra Prabhu

1979—2019
Years
of
Age
40
World
Cup
Qatar
22
cardsofqatar.com
Migrant worker
India
In memory of

Mandaloji Rajendra Prabhu

1979—2019
The father of two and the carpenter Prabhu was found hanged in the room where he slept with his colleagues. Ten days later, a coffin with the body came home to the family. - He often told me that he was tired of everything. He had worked in Qatar for several years and every month there was a fight over the salary, says the 23-year-old wife. During one of the conversations just days before he was found dead, Sucharitha remembers that her husband said enough is enough. And he wanted to go home. - The company he worked for did not even offer condolences or paid any compensation, Sucharitha says.
— told to the journalistic platform Blankspot
FULL STORY
cardsofqatar.com

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