Qatar Refugees Policy for Securitization Agenda before FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Abstract

Since being selected as the host of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar has made various strategic efforts to
make the country safe from the threat of both hard power and soft power. At the same time, Qatar's reputation has
been tarnished due to cases of human rights violations over the death of several foreign immigrant workers related to
several facilities building projects of FIFA World Cup 2022. Saudi Arabia with Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE claimed
that Qatar is involved in funding the extremist group of Hamas in Gaza and several acts funding of terrorism in the
Middle East. At that time, several Gulf countries blockaded Qatar but Qatar was able to survive. Qatar continues to
focus on national branding and securitization before FIFA World Cup 2022. Through Qatar Law No. 11/2018 on
Organizing Political Asylum, Qatar becomes the first country in the GCC to open its doors to refugees. This strategy
allows Qatar to restore its image in international view by providing space for the Muslim Brotherhood to build a
collective identity of Islamism and plays a vital role in Middle East political contestation then Covid-19 came. This
situation makes Qatar must well prepare to deal with all security threats. The significant research finding is that the
Qatar policy strategy aims to secure Al Thani's monarch status in Qatar for the next few years even though security
threats come from all sides.