Amnesty Blasts FIFA Over Migrant Workers

(ATR) Amnesty International today demanded FIFA act over the abuse of migrant workers involved in construction projects for the Qatar 2022 World Cup after publishing a new report.

In a press conference in Doha on Sunday, the international human rights body published its report into labour exploitation in the country titled ‘The Dark Side of Migration: Spotlight on Qatar’s construction sector ahead of the World Cup’.

The explosive findings prove unhappy reading for FIFA as Amnesty’s document says there is widespread and routine abuse of migrant workers - in some cases amounting to forced labour.

The report, seen by Around the Rings, clearly states that certain aspects of FIFA’s approach "give cause for concern".

"It’s not enough for FIFA to downplay its responsibility in this issue," James Lynch, Amnesty Researcher on Gulf Migrants' Rights said.

"The World Cup is FIFA’s tournament and it carries its name. FIFA has a responsibility to ensure human rights abuses down take place in the staging or preparation for World Cups."

He added: "So we expect FIFA to engage closely with Qatar 2022 and the Qatari government to ensure that labour exploitation in the construction sector ends. FIFA needs to send a strong message to the Qatari authorities and the construction sector that human rights have to be respected in all World Cup related construction projects.

"That’s not only stadiums and training facilities, but also hotels, public transport and infrastructure that are part of this World Cup."

The report is based on evidence gathered from interviews with approximately 210 migrant workers in the construction sector, including 101 individual interviews undertaken during two visits to Qatar 2012 and March 2013.

But it wasn’t until September when the story came out about predicted migrant worker deaths on World Cup projects that the issue took hold in the sporting world.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter initially said he was very concerned by the issue and even discussed it with the Emir on a visit to the Gulf state last week. But the overall approach of world football's governing body has been to lay the blame at Qatar's door, as something the government must fix.

Amnesty wants FIFA to be pro-active and the Qatarigovernment to take quicker steps to halt the exploitation of workers; Qatar has promised to amend labour laws.

Salil Shetty, secretary general of Amnesty International, said in a statement: "The world’s spotlight will continue to shine on Qatar in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup offering the government a unique chance to demonstrate on a global stage that they are serious about their commitment to human rights and can act as a role model to the rest of the region.

"Our findings indicate an alarming level of exploitation in the construction sector in Qatar. FIFA has a duty to send a strong public message that it will not tolerate human rights abuses on construction projects related to the World Cup."

At the press conference,Shetty added: "People like Blatter and people who are involved in the issue... it’s really important they speak to migrant workers themselves - it’s important to talk to the people affected otherwise coming to a conclusion is tricky," he said.

He added: "So what we need from the committee is a clear plan of action of how they will address the problems. It’s good the overall statement that they are concerned. When we met with them [Qatar 2022] this morning it’s important they bring out the standards and implement them – it’s not enough to just say they have the standards.

"It cannot be restricted to the stadiums themselves, it needs to be dealing with the broader problems. We hope that the fact that the World Cup is being hosted in Qatar provides a real opportunity, a momentum, to bring about the reform that is needed in the sponsorship system and labour laws."

Amnesty is also calling for an overhaul of the ‘sponsorship’ system, which leaves migrant workers unable to leave the country or change jobs without their employers’ permission.

In today's report, Amnesty documents how some Nepalese workers said they were "treated like cattle" and that one worker implored Amnesty for a way to leave the country as he had been unpaid for seven months and prevented from leaving for three months.

"Please tell me – is there any way to get out of here? … We are going totally mad," he was quoted in the report.

The timing of the report is unwelcome for Qatar 2022 as it comes just a day after World Cup organisers revealed the design for their first World Cup stadium in Al Wakrah. Construction is due to begin in January where they promised they were implementing safety standards and charters.

Reported by Christian Radnedge in Doha

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