During 3-14 November 2019, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention conducted a country visit to Qatar. During the 10 day visit, the Working Group visited 12 places of detention including police stations, pre-trial detention facilities, Doha central prison, Doha deportation centre, Doha psychiatric hospital and a children's social care centre. The report also draws on interviews with over 200 people deprived of their liberty.

Through interviews with migrant workers the report identifies how actions by private actors, both individuals and companies, can "lead to the de facto deprivation of liberty by private actors that are neither stipulated in the national legislation of Qatar nor permissible under international law". Particularly abusive practices identified include the withholding of passports, imposed curfews, and employers making false accusations to police who then detained the workers.