Hundreds of migrant workers in Qatar employed as security guards during the World Cup at Fifa’s main media centre and other key sites face deportation after launching an unprecedented street protest in Doha on Sunday against mass sackings that followed the tournament.

The protest was the culmination of a long-running labour dispute involving workers sacked before the end of their six-month contracts to work at the World Cup. They were left without salary, bonuses and a place to live – forcing them to occupy their company accommodation.

Telegraph Sport has been told that around 400 workers formerly employed by Stark Security Services and Festival Global Management, which are based in Doha, hired buses to take them to protest at the offices of the latter in the West Bay area of the capital city. Police were summoned and arrests were made. Eye-witnesses have reported the workers being escorted to their accommodation to collect their belongings ahead of the deportation process.

The men from south-east Asia, Africa and the Middle East were recruited to work for Stark Security, chiefly guarding the Qatar National Convention Centre which housed Fifa’s media hub…

Stark Security were contacted on more than one occasion to comment but did not respond. The Supreme Organising Committee for the 2022 World Cup did not respond to requests to comment. A senior executive at Festival Global did not respond to messages.

[Subscription required.]