Qatar 2022 World Cup: Gareth Southgate says some England fans not travelling 'a great shame'

It is «a great shame» that some England fans will not travel to the 2022 World Cup, says manager Gareth Southgate.

Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and there are strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

«We stand for inclusivity as a team — that's been the big driver of a lot of the stances we've taken in the last couple of years,» said Southgate.

«It would be horrible to think some of our fans feel they can't go because they feel threatened or they're worried about their safety.»

There are also concerns about Qatar's human rights record.

«There are the issues that potentially threaten our fans when they travel — the rights of women and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in particular,» said Southgate.

«Sadly, through discussions that I've had, I don't think some of those communities are going to go and that's a great shame.»

Equality campaign group Kick It Out has formedexternal-link a working group to look at inclusivity issues in Qatar.

A report in the Guardianexternal-link last year said 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since the World Cup was awarded in 2010.

Qatar did not comment on those figures, which it disputes, but has said: «We deeply regret all of these tragedies and investigated each incident to ensure lessons were learned.»

In November, Amnesty International released a report accusing the country of failing to implement its own laws designed to improve conditions for migrant workers.

The Qatar government has said it «rejects» Amnesty's assertion.

Norway, Netherlands and Germany players have protested about alleged human rights abuses in Qatar.

«I'm quite clear on the areas of concern about this tournament,» said Southgate.

«The building of the stadiums was the first and there's nothing we can do about that now. They're built.

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