Mustafa Qadri, Equidem’s founder, says contractors on World Cup projects went to extreme lengths to cover up what was going on...

At the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium, where England will line up against Wales on November 29, Equidem says they spoke to workers who told them they’d not been paid agreed wages, were forced to work in extreme temperatures, had food withheld, were blocked from moving jobs and had paid extortionate recruitment fees to get their roles in the first place. Recruitment fees are illegal.

Across the eight World Cup venues Equidem heard claims of frequent abuse including serious health and safety risks, unpaid or late payment of wages, physical violence, discrimination based on nationality and unhygienic worker accommodation...