Two Britons working on human rights issues ahead of the 2022 World Cup have gone missing and are presumed detained by the Qatari police, officials said Thursday.
“We are aware of the reports that two British nationals have been detained by Qatari authorities, and we are investigating the reports,” an official at the British embassy in Doha said by telephone.
The two have been missing for four days. They were working on labour rights in Qatar, where migrant workers were estimated this year to be dying at the rate of one person per day.
Hundreds of migrant labourers, especially from Nepal and India, have died in the past two years in Qatar, which is seeing a construction boom as it prepares to host the football championship in eight years. Most of the deaths have been related to the construction sector.
A restrictive visa system limits workers’ ability to complain about their employers and report abuse and unfair conditions.
The Global Network for Rights and Development, which employed researcher Krishna Upadhyaya and photographer Ghimire Gundev, said it is “deeply concerned” about their safety.
“GNRD holds Qatari authorities responsible for the security and safety of its kidnapped employees,” the Norway-based group said in a statement.
GNA
