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Qatar imported hundreds of thousands of construction workers for the 2022 World Cup
Concerns about human rights violations prompted the Commissioner for Police and Crime in Sussex County, England, to withdraw 6 million pounds invested in Qatar.
Commissioner Kitty Bourne made the decision after members of an independent audit committee criticized the investment in Qatar.
“Lending money to Qatar seems to contradict everything we say about equality, pluralism, and how we do our work,” said committee member Mike Heep.
And in 2019, he invested 20 million pounds in Qatar.
And it was reported that the 6 million pounds, now withdrawn, represents more than half of the Commissioner for Police and Crime, which amounted to 11.4 million pounds, as of March 31.
In the previous year, the total investment volume was 46.5 million pounds, just less than half of which went to Qatar.
The commissioner’s decision comes after a report from the human rights organization Amnesty International stating that thousands of people were exploited by unscrupulous employers and were not paid for their work in 2019.
Katie Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner
In addition to Qatar’s record on labor laws, its position on gay people has been questioned by the committee.
“Lending money to a country that still criminalizes homosexuality is something we must look to avoid,” said Heyb.
Commissioner Born said she shared these concerns with others. “Human rights observers say that, while progress is being made, they still have a long way to go,” she added.
“I will withdraw our investment in Qatar and I have requested that there be a review of our entire investment portfolio,” she added.
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