Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Pete Pattisson

‘Like a prison’: teenage security guards stuck in Qatar after World Cup

Security guards Saikou (left), Ebrima (second left) and Papasecka (far right) working for Stark Security Services during the World Cup
Security guards Saikou (left), Ebrima (second left) and Papasecka (far right) working for Stark Security Services during the World Cup. Photograph: Courtesy of Pete Pattisson

Three teenagers who were employed as security guards at the World Cup allege they are trapped in Qatar and unable to return to their homes in the Gambia, six months after the tournament ended.

Papasecka, 19, Ebrima, 18, and Saikou, 16, were left jobless and homeless after their employer fired them without warning days after the World Cup final. They say their ages were altered on official documents in the west African country to show that they were at least 18, the minimum age required to enter Qatar on a work visa.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.