While the Olympic Games are often seen as the symbol of global unity and cooperation, there is a very serious human cost to elite sport and sporting events which is less visible and discussed. For instance, transforming into an ‘attractive’ host city is an enormous and expensive endeavour, with under-served communities shouldering much of the burden.
The 2024 Paris Olympics, which had committed to stage the most ‘socially responsible’ Olympic and Paralympic Games, were made possible through the labour of undocumented migrant workers, many of whom were exploited. Behind the luxury hotels and Olympic Village, many reported being forced to work long hours without safety equipment, harnesses or other protective gear, and were pressured by their employers not to report injuries or seek medical attention.
It’s important to take into account that the Paris Olympics quickly followed on the heels of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where more than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka died in preparation for the event. The total death toll is likely to be higher, as the figure does not include deaths from countries which have also sent a large number of workers to Qatar, including the Philippines and Kenya.
The legacy of the 2022 World Cup lingers on for migrant workers who remain in Qatar without work or pay and with outstanding wages and benefits contractually owned to them. According to Human Rights Watch, migrant workers in Qatar are unable to return home to their countries of origin for fear of not being able to access the stolen wages and justice they are due from overseas.
These two examples demonstrate that when nations prepare to host big events, they do so often at the expense of the rights, wages and working conditions of migrant labour. Elite sporting events are one such example, but there are other instances where migrant workers are exploited such as the fashion and agricultural industries.
Another ‘invisible’ human cost of the Olympics relates to what it means to be an ‘attractive’ host city and the consequences of prioritising hosting the Olympics over the needs of local residents who face accelerated gentrification, environmental degradation and militarisation of police. Under the tourism and economic gains of the Olympics, what is often forgotten is that host cities also undertake a program of intense ‘social cleansing’.
From Rio to Tokyo to Paris – and even Sydney back in 2000 – those who are unhoused have been forcibly displaced in ‘clean-up’ operations designed to maintain a picture-perfect image of the host city. For the Paris Olympics, an investigation found 12,545 people (including 3,434 minors) were evicted across Paris between April 2023 and May 2024. The same investigation found that tightened security became the pretext for high levels of violence and abuse by police against sex workers and victim survivors of human trafficking, particularly those whose citizenship status in France may be precarious.
There are also similar concerns for the 45,252 unhoused people in Los Angeles as part of the upcoming 2028 Olympics. And with Brisbane set to host the 2032 Olympics, we must not allow the spectacle of the Games come at the expense of the rights and dignity of any communities, including migrant and refugee communities and First Nations people, who are at higher risk of being displaced within their own cities.
Although data on the extent of homelessness amongst migrant and refugee populations is scarce, the Centre for Multicultural Youth estimated that young people from refugee backgrounds are six to 10 times more likely to be at risk of homelessness than Australian-born young people.
We also know that women on temporary visas who are experiencing violence are at increased risk of homelessness. Temporary visa conditions can leave women unsafe and without options and affect the capability of domestic and family violence support services to assist. Notably, in all states except for South Australia, women on temporary visas are not eligible to access social and public housing. Permanent and sustainable solutions to housing should be prioritised now and all residents, regardless of migration status should have access to safe and affordable housing.
While sport is meant to unite and inspire, international events in recent history have revealed the ongoing exclusion and exploitation of migrants within the sports world. It’s time we uphold the spirit of solidarity and camaraderie that defines international sport by demanding these events not only inspire but also protect and respect the rights of all people involved.
This article was first published in edition #136 of The WRAP on August 2024.