The Gambians aged from 16 to 19 were fired a few days after the end of the tournament without warning, the report said, adding that they had been placed in a government shelter since January, while not allowed to leave it to search for a job, with their documents seized. Living conditions in the shelter were "like a prison," the newspaper also stated, citing one of the teenagers.
"We are tired of everything and want to go back home, but they’re telling us to buy tickets for ourselves, which they know we can’t afford," Ebrima, an 18-year-old Gambian, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
The teenagers said that they had come to Qatar after finding jobs offered by a local recruitment agent, but realized upon their arrival in Doha that they had been duped. In Qatar, they had to face unpaid wages, threats of deportation and 12-hour shifts on construction sites, the report said.
Shortly before the start of the World Cup, the Gambians signed six-month contracts with a private security company to work as security guards during the tournament with a monthly salary of 2,700 rials ($730), the report added. However, they were fired three months before the expiration of the contract without receiving full wages for their work.
The Qatari government is "expediting the procedures to facilitate the workers’ departure in line with their wishes, while also ensuring that any outstanding dues owed to them are settled," the newspaper reported, citing a government spokesperson.