Organisers of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar reportedly admitted to the exploitation of workers who were bound by contract to help prepare for the sporting event. The World Cup begins later this year in November, however, the preparations have been on for more than seven years.

Amnesty International, an international human rights group, conducted an investigation on the matter after there was a global outrage against the alleged exploitation. The probe found that security guards were forced to work in conditions it called “forced labor” by exceeding the 60-hour maximum workweek and not having a day off for months or even years.

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“Three companies were found to be non-compliant across a number of areas,” the organisers of the Qatar World Cup said in a statement, according to reports from Associated Press.

The statement added, “These violations were completely unacceptable and led to a range of measures being enforced, including placing contractors on a watch-list or black-list to avoid them working on future projects – including the FIFA World Cup – before reporting said contractors to the Ministry of Labor for further investigation and punitive action.”

However, the organisers of the upcoming championship failed to share any clarifications about the allegations linked to the subcontractors working on the Club World Cup and Arab Cup in 2021.

Commenting on the investigation conducted by Amnesty International, Head of Economic and Social Justice Stephen Cockburn said, “Many of the security guards we spoke to knew their employers were breaking the law but felt powerless to challenge them.”

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“Physically and emotionally exhausted, workers kept reporting for duty under threat of financial penalties — or worse, contract termination or deportation”, the Amnesty International official added.

According to reports from Associated Press, the exploitation of workers in Qatar continued even after the Middle Eastern country announced in 2014 that it had taken steps to protect health and safety.