World Cup in Qatar, Amnesty International urges Infantino to break the silence on compensation to migrant workers

ROME – When it’s less than a week until the start of World Cup in Qatarthe time because the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) and its president (Swiss, with Italian citizenship) Gianni Infantino undertake to compensate migrant workers for the damages suffered during the preparation of the tournament is expiring. “Unless I break the silence on the issue of reparations,” said Steve Cockburn, director of the economic and social justice program at Amnesty International – Infantino appears to be rejecting the golden opportunity for the World Cup to leave a legacy of respect and honor for the workers who made it possible. He was presented with a wealth of evidence on the human consequences of the last 12 years and a proposal to help the victims and their families rebuild their lives. The message from Zurich and Doha can’t just focus on football.”

Those damages suffered by thousands of workers. “There Fifa – added Cockburn – he cannot use the spectacle of the World Cup to fail in his responsibilities. He owes a clear duty to the damage suffered by hundreds of thousands of workers as they built the stadiums and infrastructure necessary for the tournament to take place. A public commitment to a compensation fund, while it cannot undo the past, would be a big step forward. Time is running out – he concluded – but it is still not too late for Fifa to do the right thing ”. In May 2022 Amnesty International and a coalition of organizations have launched a campaign calling for Qatar and the Fifa to launch a comprehensive program of remediation for the hundreds of thousands of workers affected by illegal employment taxes, unpaid wages, injuries and deaths. So far, Gianni Infantino has not replied in any way to the joint letter sent to him at the beginning of the campaign and has always avoided addressing the issue of compensation in public.

The support of dozens of football associations. The remedy program proposal has gained broad support from a dozen football associations (including England, Germany, France, the Netherlands and the USA), from World Cup sponsors Coca Cola, Adidas, Budweiser and McDonalds and, with a video that went viral last month, of the Australia national soccer team. Although top executives of the Fifa have recognized the importance of reparations, the governance of football and its president have never made any public statement. A global survey commissioned by Amnesty International in 15 states revealed that 84% of people likely to see the World Cup are in favor of the proposal.

The answer: “Concentrate on the ball”. On November 4, Gianni Infantino wrote to the 32 finalist nations of the Qatar 2022 World Cup urging them to “focus on the ball” and leave human rights issues aside. Earlier, Qatar’s Labor Minister had dismissed Amnesty International’s campaign as “a publicity stunt”. “If Gianni Infantino wants the world ‘focus on football‘ – Steve Cockburn replied – the solution is simple: the Fifa you finally start addressing serious human rights issues instead of sweeping them under the rug. For example, publicly commit to establishing, before the kick-off, a fund to compensate migrant workers and ensure that LGBTQIA+ people will not suffer discrimination and threats. It’s amazing that this hasn’t been done yet.”

The Global Survey. A global survey commissioned by Amnesty International to YouGov, held from August 16 to September 6, he revealed that almost two-thirds (73%) of more than 17,000 adults in 15 states believe that the International Federation of Association Football should compensate migrant workers for damages suffered during the preparation for the World Cup which will start in November in Qatar. Support is even greater (84%) among those who will watch at least one match on TV. For 67% of the people interviewed, the football federation of their state should take the floor on human rights violations related to the World Cup and also support the request for compensation by FIFA.