Ahead of qualification matches for the 2022 Qatar World Cup this week, Amnesty International has written to football’s world governing body FIFA calling on it to use its leverage with the Qatari authorities to help end the abuse of migrant workers in the country.

Amnesty has called on the football body to take “urgent and concrete action” and “use the full extent of its influence” to urge Qatar to fulfil a programme of labour reforms before the World Cup kicks off at the end of next year.

Amnesty’s letter says that FIFA “has a responsibility to ensure human rights are respected in the context of preparing for and carrying out the tournament”, noting that without the two million migrants “building the stadiums, the roads, and the metro”, Qatar’s hosting of the competition would not have been possible. 

“When the tournament kicks off”, continues Amnesty’s letter, migrant workers “will be taking care of players, fans and officials in hotels, serving them in restaurants, transporting them around and providing security for venues”. “Everyone who visits Qatar to watch or participate in the World Cup will almost certainly by looked after by migrant workers along the way.”