Doha, 15 January 2025 – The fight against human trafficking in sport must extend beyond the final whistle, IOM Deputy Director General of Operations, IOM, Ugochi Daniels told a major anti-trafficking event in Doha, Qatar yesterday.

In her keynote speech to an audience of global leaders, athletes, and experts, DDG Daniels stressed that tournaments must prioritize human rights, safe migration, and the protection of all participants in major sporting events.

“With Qatar’s successful hosting of the 2022 World Cup, Morocco’s co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup and Saudi Arabia’s selection for 2034, we have a unique opportunity to set new standards”, she stated.

“Our responsibility extends beyond the final whistle – we must ensure that mega-sporting events do not become venues for exploitation and trafficking, but rather serve as beacons of safe, orderly, and regular migration, creating pathways of opportunity and hope for all involved. The Middle East’s emerging role as a hub for international sports presents a pivotal moment to strengthen these protections.”

The gathering, themed “Expanding the Fight Against Human Trafficking: Prevention of Trafficking in Mega-Sport Events marked a convergence of minds and missions between (IOM), Mission 89, a research, education, and advocacy organization that fights the exploitation of young athletes through social and economic transformation and youth advocacy organization Generation Amazing.

It showcased a new Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking by renowned expert Dr. Monique Emser, which provides unprecedented insights into the mechanisms of exploitation. The report revealed disturbing trends, including an increase in reported cases of sports-related trafficking over the past five years, complex recruitment networks operating across multiple continents, the exploitation of digital platforms to target vulnerable youth, and the particular vulnerability of athletes from developing nations.

Nasser Al-Khori, Executive Director of Generation Amazing, highlighted how Qatar’s World Cup legacy is being leveraged through sport for development programmes to build resilient communities. “Generation Amazing was born from Qatar’s World Cup journey, reaching over a billion people across four continents,” he noted. 

IOM Qatar’s Chief of Mission, Ms. Ewa Naqvi, provided crucial context about the international dimensions of sports trafficking. “Qatar’s position as a global sporting hub gives us both an opportunity and a responsibility,” she said. “While data shows that major sporting events can become focal points for trafficking networks, these same events can become powerful platforms for prevention and awareness through adequate preparation and partnership. The protocols we’re developing here in Qatar can serve as a model for sporting events worldwide.”

For more information, please contact

Joe Lowry, jlowry@iom.int.