Qatar 2022: FIFA yet to publish review into compensation for migrant workers harmed delivering World Cup, says Amnesty
Shutterstock
In January 2024, The Guardian reported that the Norwegian Football Federation president, Lise Klaveness, called on the governing body of FIFA to publish its report on the legacy left by the Qatar World Cup amid a lack of remedy for migrant workers who experienced abuse. Klaverness had called for an inquest a year earlier and felt that the report was due.
In May 2024, Amnesty released a statement calling FIFA to publish and act on the independent review that allegedly recognises FIFA’s responsibility to remedy “a significant range of abuses” experienced by migrant workers employed in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup.
The review was announced last year. FIFA received the review five months ago and its findings were approved by FIFA’s council in March. Amnesty’s call for the report to be made public comes ahead of its annual congress on 17 May in Thailand.
Amnesty emphasises abuses suffered by migrants working to deliver the FIFA World Cup, including extreme heat and unsafe working conditions leading to worker deaths, extortionate recruitment fee charging, and other abuses including forced labour.
Amnesty says serious doubts remain over FIFA’s commitment to uphold reforms it has made to its human rights statues and guidelines.
Ahead of its annual congress next week FIFA should make public the review it ordered into the organization’s responsibilities to redress human rights abuses related to the 2022 World Cup and respond positively and rapidly to its recommendations. FIFA received this review months ago but has yet to disclose or act on its findings.Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport
An article in The Guardian reports on Amnesty’s call to publish the report. The Guardian says that FIFA took steps to improve working conditions for migrants during the years running up to the FIFA World Cup and has signalled it would be open to considering financial remedy for workers who have experienced abuse, but that during the competition, FIFA’s president announced a legacy fund would instead be used to develop the game across the world.
The Guardian contacted FIFA for comment.