It is precisely the number who have so far bought match tickets, the WC committee informs news. Friends Skomsøy and Hultgreen are ready to travel down to Qatar next week. Two sons of Skomsøy will also join. – We have had mixed reactions from family and friends, say the friends. – There are those who think it is absolutely fantastic that we are dragging, but also those who say that we support the regime. We don’t do that, says Skomsøy. – Terrible Skomsøy says that he is traveling to support the players who have worked hard to be there, and to experience the local life with supporters who have traveled to support their teams. It is in those discussions, says Hultgreen, that he is met with respect by those who dislike him going to Qatar. – I agree with their argument and think that what has been going on behind the scenes is appalling. Neither the corruption scandal, the situation with the migrant workers nor their views on women and LGBT+ persons are in line with my values. Hultgreen says he travels because he likes football. He is also looking forward to experiencing a bit of the Middle East. And it will be fun to experience the World Cup up close together with a friend he has known for over 20 years, he thinks. – What will it be like to sit in a stadium that you know was built by workers who may have died while they were at work? – It’s not a nice thought. I haven’t thought much about it. At the same time, I do not know the facts of the case. But it is of course terrible, says Hultgreen. – It is terribly sad that people have lost their lives because of a country’s ambitions to have a World Cup. Full sympathy for their relatives, says Skomsøy. According to Amnesty, 15,000 foreign nationals died in Qatar from 2010 to 2019. It is debated how many deaths are directly linked to World Cup work, among other things due to unknown causes of death, according to vaktukk.no. Qatar believes that only three migrant workers have died in work accidents at the World Cup stadium. Migrant workers at the Lusail stadium. The picture is from November 2021. Photo: Halvor Ekeland / news – Avoid “indecent” behavior The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns Norwegians traveling to Qatar that they may be arrested if they exhibit “indecent” behavior. In its own travel information, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides clear advice and warnings, among other things: LGBTI persons who are known to the public run the risk of being arrested and also charged with other types of offences, for example behavior that is locally characterized as indecent. It is forbidden to live together with or share a hotel room with a person of the opposite sex if you are not married or are closely related to the person concerned. One risks a fine, prison sentence and/or deportation. Alcohol is illegal, and there is zero tolerance for drugs. You can only enjoy alcohol in certain places. Avoid crowds and large crowds as much as possible. Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt’s (Ap) best advice is to register in the Reiseklar app. – We will have a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs present. We can’t help with everything, but we can help if there is a problem, she says to news. – What system do they have in place if a Norwegian is arrested in Qatar? – It is important that there are reactions, but I have to look at each individual case and what is most expedient. As I said, we can’t help with everything, but we will do the best we can. Anniken Huitfeldt says the representative of the Foreign Ministry is in Abu Dhabi. If something happens to a Norwegian in Qatar, the representative will be asked to go to Doha. Photo: Anders Tvegård / news Taking rules of procedure In terms of safety, Bjørn Roger Skomsøy mostly thought about staying away from crowds. – When many people are gathered in one place, you have to be a little vigilant. You never know when there may be a risk of terrorism, says Skomsøy. The friend Rune’s biggest concern is not terror, but unrest between supporters and the authorities. He says he must be careful not to provoke or express strong opinions. – I intend to respect Qatar and take care of the rules that are there, even if I disagree with them, says Hultgreen. Due to other precautions, he must not drink beer outside the fan zone. Here you can drink a maximum of four units per match. – I will not go around and consume alcohol as one would otherwise do, says Hultgreen. The pair of friends leave Norway in about a week. First they land in Dubai. From there they will drive to Qatar. They do so because it is cheaper, but also to experience the road in that part of the world. The group of friends is not alone in traveling to the neighboring country. According to the analysis company ForwardKeys, flight bookings to Emirates have increased 103 times compared to 2019, which was the last “normal” year before the pandemic. ForwardKeys also states that 64 per cent of Norwegians traveling to Qatar during the World Cup have bought first-class tickets. Hultgreen and the rest of the gang travel with economy tickets. – We started looking at tickets in April and travel with the cheapest ticket we could find, says Hultgreen.
ttn-69
– We have had mixed reactions – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
