Amnesty Labels Fifa’s Qatar World Cup Legacy Fund “Shameful” Over Lack of Worker Compensation

Human rights organization Amnesty International has labeled a recently established legacy fund for the 2022 Qatar World Cup as “shameful” due to its exclusion of compensation for migrant workers who suffered harm during the tournament’s preparatory phase. This comes as Qatar reported “between 400 and 500” migrant worker fatalities linked to World Cup infrastructure projects. Fifa announced that £39.4 million of the revenue generated from the event will be allocated to social initiatives across different areas, two years after the tournament concluded. This investment will be made in partnership with the host nation, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the United Nations Refugee Agency. The primary objectives of these programs encompass occupational health, educational initiatives, and the advancement of football. According to Fifa, this “groundbreaking” fund is intended to back an effort aimed at protecting workers’ health and safety from severe heat, particularly in light of climate change. Nevertheless, Amnesty maintains that the fund “does absolutely nothing for the families who lost loved ones in Qatar and were plunged into poverty as a result”. For several years, the tournament has been overshadowed by disputes concerning the human toll associated with constructing the necessary infrastructure in the Gulf state’s intense summer heat for the 2022 event. A report in 2021 disclosed that 6,500 migrant workers originating from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka had died in Qatar since the nation secured the right to host the World Cup in 2010. The Qatari government responded by stating that not all recorded deaths were among individuals engaged in World Cup-related endeavors, suggesting many could have resulted from advanced age or other natural factors. Prior to the competition, officials asserted that only three ‘work-related’ fatalities had occurred at actual stadium construction sites since work commenced in 2014. However, during the tournament itself, organizers reported that the count of migrant workers who perished on World Cup-associated projects stood at “between 400 and 500”. Qatar implemented labor reforms starting in 2017, which included enhanced worker protections, a minimum wage, and the abolition of the contentious ‘kafala’ sponsorship framework, though ongoing worries about the practical application of these modifications have persisted. Despite achieving a record £6 billion in revenue from the World Cup, Fifa declined requests from activists, player associations, fan organizations, and certain European football federations to establish a £350 million compensation fund for the relatives of injured or deceased workers, opting instead for a legacy fund. In late 2022, Fifa stated it “welcomed assurances” from the Qatari government regarding an existing workers’ support and insurance fund, which, according to Fifa, had disbursed hundreds of millions of pounds in compensation, primarily addressing instances of delayed and unpaid wages. Additionally, in March 2023, Fifa commissioned an independent report to offer guidance on its obligations toward migrant workers in Qatar; this report has not yet been released. Fifa President Gianni Infantino praised the fund as a “historic initiative,” stating that the governing body was “taking the concept of a legacy fund to the next level in terms of reach and impact”. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, further commented: “We wanted to enact legacy projects that would address issues critical to the region and to the international community as a whole. We look forward to working with our signatory partners today to utilising the power of football and the World Cup to contribute to improving lives within our region, and beyond.” Conversely, Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport, remarked: “It is shameful that Fifa and Qatar have launched their long-awaited legacy fund without any recognition of their clear responsibility towards the vast number of migrant workers who were exploited and, in many cases, died to make the 2022 World Cup possible.” He continued: “In failing to provide funding to compensate workers and their families for the severe harms suffered in Qatar, Fifa is blatantly disregarding its own human rights policies and is likely to be ignoring the conclusions of its own commissioned report – which is yet to be published. As long as Fifa continues to bury its head in the sand, workers and their families will continue to suffer the consequences.” Cockburn concluded: “After worldwide demands for compensation coming from fans, players, sponsors and football associations, this legacy fund cannot be the end of the story. Fifa must finally do the right thing and provide meaningful remedy for all whose rights were violated and abused as a result of its flagship tournament.” Fifa chose not to comment on the allegations made by Amnesty.