In three weeks, the world’s biggest sporting event will take place in one of the world’s most stringent countries. A country where its citizens are killed. A country where people with same-sex relations are jailed for up to seven years. A country where women require permission to marry.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is surrounded by controversy. When the small Middle Eastern nation was selected as host in 2010, a project that would cost 229 billion dollars and kill over 6,500 migrant workers began.

Over the past 12 years, 30,000 foreign laborers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and the Philippines have arrived in Qatar to construct seven state-of-the-art stadiums. In search of better pay, these men and women have left their families to enter a country that puts their lives in danger.

Qatar has a labor system known as Kafala, which has been described as a modern-day form of slavery. Essentially, it ties migrant workers’ legal status in the country to their employers. Examples of Kafala include frequent passport confiscations, unpaid wages, and massive recruitment fees that leave workers in debt for years. Kafala also bans absconding, meaning workers require the permission of their employers to leave their jobs. Along with these heavy restrictions, the living conditions provided for these migrant workers have drawn wide criticism. Workers are forced into tight, poorly built quarters with limited clean water and multiple hazardous situations.

Mohammad Shahid Miah, a 23-year-old man from Bangladesh, was asleep in his labor camp when water from heavy rains flooded his living quarters. The water made contact with exposed electricity cables, electrocuting and killing him.

With growing calls for relocation, global attention turns to FIFA (International Federation of Association Football). When they chose Qatar to host in 2010, they knew of the country’s repressive laws and human rights policies. FIFA was undoubtedly aware of the civil injustice taking place in the country, and despite their supposed firm stance against homophobia and human rights violations, they chose Qatar against all ethical obligations.

12 years ago, FIFA made a decision that would change the public perception of soccer for years to come. People would be killed and lives would be altered, but FIFA’s prioritization of money over ethical responsibility has become evident. Although there is much uncertainty ahead, one thing is clear: Qatar does not deserve to host the 2022 World Cup.