World Cup 2022: Foreign Secretary James Cleverly says he will travel to Qatar

The overseas caput has said helium volition beryllium travelling to Qatar arsenic a authorities typical astatine the Fifa World Cup.

James Cleverly confirmed connected Monday that helium would spell to the tourney to assistance guarantee travelling British fans "remain safe".

But helium has faced disapproval for telling cheery fans not to protestation and to comply with section laws portion successful Qatar.

Homosexuality is amerciable successful Qatar due to the fact that it is considered immoral nether Islamic Sharia law.

Anyone recovered participating successful same-sex intersexual enactment successful Qatar tin beryllium punished by up to 7 years successful prison.

There are besides concerns implicit the thousands of migrant workers who person died successful Qatar since the state controversially won the rights to big the 2022 World Cup 12 years ago.

Labour person Sir Keir Starmer has said helium and his frontbench volition boycott the tourney implicit concerns for LGBT rights, the rights of women and for the workers who person mislaid their lives.

But Mr Cleverly told the Commons overseas affairs committee connected Monday that helium would beryllium going, adding that helium would beryllium speaking to information authorities successful Qatar to guarantee British fans "remain safe".

He said that helium had visited the state successful the lead-up to the tourney and had told Qatari officials however important it was to the UK "that they should respect cheery fans".

Current Foreign Office proposal notes "any intimacy betwixt persons successful nationalist tin beryllium considered offensive, careless of gender, intersexual predisposition oregon intent" but guidance does not see circumstantial information warnings connected the ineligible presumption of homosexuality successful Qatar.

Mr Cleverly told the committee that helium would counsel cheery fans not to show portion successful Qatar.

"When British nationals question overseas, they should respect the laws of their big country", helium said.

"Genuinely, my question is, for those cheery fans who privation to spell ticker the football, what proposal realistically should I springiness different than the proposal I judge volition support them safe?"

Labour MP Chris Bryant described Mr Cleverly's comments arsenic a "slap successful the face" to cheery fans.

"I don't deliberation the World Cup should adjacent person been fixed to Qatar due to the fact that workers person been killed successful gathering the buildings, migrants person been treated appallingly and cheery men are regularly entrapped by constabulary officers and past sent to situation - peculiarly if you're a Muslim successful Qatar you tin look the decease penalty," helium told the committee.

"So I don't deliberation immoderate of it should beryllium happening but past you travel retired and accidental cheery radical should respect Qatar - it does consciousness a spot of a slap successful the face."

The World Cup kicks disconnected connected Sunday with England and Wales opening their campaigns the pursuing day.