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Qatar 2022: FIFA to discuss remedy for human rights abuses at request of Norwegian FA
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FIFA has agreed to discuss human rights abuses, including migrant worker deaths, relating to the World Cup at the upcoming annual congress this March. The Norwegian FA had lodged an official request for FIFA's position on abuses and in relation to future tournaments.
In response, Amnesty International welcomed the FIFA member's intervention but criticised FIFA for its failure to commit to remedy for migrant workers before now. Amnesty International UK's Economic Affairs Director, Peter Frankental, has also called on the English and Welsh FAs to "push FIFA over belatedly funding a comprehensive worker remediation scheme".
With so many of Qatar’s migrant workers still lacking any compensation for abuses suffered ahead of the 2022 World Cup, it is encouraging to see FIFA members asking the organization to discuss remedies by putting it on the agenda at its upcoming congress. Despite widespread concern among football associations, players and sponsors, FIFA has still failed to commit to ensuring that migrant workers, who suffered wage theft, illegal recruitment fees, injuries and even death connected to the hosting of the tournament in Qatar are compensated for their suffering.Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice