Amnesty International calls upon Fifa to help end migrant workers abuse in Qatar

Ahead of qualification matches for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Amnesty International today called on Fifa to use its leverage with the Qatari authorities to help end the abuse of migrant workers.

In a letter to Fifa President Gianni Infantino, Amnesty called upon the football organisation to live up to its responsibilities to prevent, mitigate and remedy human rights risks connected to the tournament, and to "use the full extent of its influence" to urge Qatar to fulfil its programme of labour reforms before the World Cup kicks off, says a news release posted on Amnesty's website.

Qatar has made a number of positive reforms in recent years, partly in response to increased scrutiny after the World Cup contract was awarded, but too often these are not properly implemented and thousands of migrant workers continue to be exploited and abused, it says.

Recently, Qatar's Shura Council, an advisory body, put forward a set of recommendations which, if accepted by the government, would undo much of the progress brought about by reforms, including by re-imposing restrictions on the rights of workers to change jobs and leave the country, it adds.

"This World Cup simply would not be possible without migrant workers, who comprise 95 percent of Qatar's workforce. From stadiums and roads to hospitality and security, the tournament depends on the hard work of men and women who have travelled thousands of miles to provide for their families. But too often, these workers still find that their time in Qatar is defined by abuse and exploitation," said Steve Cockburn, head of Economic and Social Justice at Amnesty International.

"As the World Cup organising body, FIFA has a responsibility under international standards to mitigate human rights risks arising from the tournament. This includes risks to workers in industries like hospitality and transport, which have expanded massively to facilitate the delivery of the games. This week's qualifiers are a reminder that the window for FIFA to influence Qatar is closing -- it must act now to ensure that the 2022 World Cup is a tournament to be proud of, and not one tainted by labour abuses."

WORKERS SUFFERING TO MAKE WORLD CUP POSSIBLE

When Fifa decided to hold the World Cup in Qatar, it knew -- or should have known -- that there were inherent human rights risks, due to the country's heavy reliance on migrant workers and its exploitative labour system. Consequently, FIFA knew, or ought to have known, that migrants working in all sectors related to the delivery of the World Cup, whether directly linked to official sites or not, would suffer to make it possible, Amnesty says.

Crucially, Fifa also has a responsibility to ensure that all harms suffered by workers on World Cup-related projects to date are properly remedied, in cooperation with the Qatari authorities and other relevant stakeholders, it says.

"FIFA must use its voice to urge Qatar to urgently implement and enforce existing reforms, and to reject proposals to strip workers of their newly gained rights," said Steve Cockburn.

Several Amnesty International offices around the world are now calling on football supporters to sign a petition, urging Fifa to do more to help transform conditions for the workers making the tournament possible, says the release.

At least 1,018 Bangladeshi migrant workers have died in Qatar between 2010 and November 2020, revealed an investigative report of The Guardian in February of this year.

They are among more than 6,500 migrant workers from South Asia -- India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka -- who have died in the Middle Eastern country.

The Guardian found 69 percent of deaths among Indian, Nepali and Bangladeshi workers are categorised as natural. Among Indians alone, the figure is 80 percent.

The Guardian reported while death records are not categorised by occupation or place of work, it is possible many workers who have died were employed on these the World Cup infrastructure projects, said Nick McGeehan, a director at FairSquare Projects that specialises in labour rights in the Gulf.