Amnesty International demands 440 million dollars from Fifa for the workers of the Mondial-2022

Published on: 05/19/2022 – 02:59 The NGO Amnesty International estimates, Thursday, that compensation of 440 million dollars for the workers who worked in Qatar in degraded conditions on the construction sites of the infrastructures of the Mondial- 2022 is the “minimum”. FIFA says it is “currently evaluating” this request. The NGO Amnesty International asked Fifa on Thursday, May 19 to pay compensation of at least $440 million to “mistreated” migrant workers in Qatar, host country of the 2022 World Cup, accused of not sufficiently respecting their rights. .Amnesty’s request, backed by other human rights organisations, comes amid repeated criticism of football’s governing body’s slow response to poor working conditions for workers who have flocked to construction sites linked to the World Cup in the rich Gulf state.”Fifa should devote at least 440 million dollars (about 418 million euros) to repair the damage suffered by the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who are victims of human rights violations in Qatar during preparations for the 2022 World Cup,” Amnesty said in a statement. tation that will be shared by the 32 participating teams, is the “minimum necessary” to compensate the workers and protect them from future abuses. The organization cites in particular unpaid wages, the payment of “illegal” and “exorbitant” recruitment fees as well as damage caused by accidents at work. The London-based NGO urged Fifa to “work with Qatar to put in place a comprehensive reparations program with the participation of workers, trade unions, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and civil society”. Since 2010, when Fifa awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, a “litany of abuse” has marred the preparations without the body requiring “the slightest improvement in working conditions”, accused Amnesty. Important but insufficient social reformsAmnesty nevertheless welcomed the social reforms decided by Qatar since 2018 and the improvement of conditions on official World Cup sites initiated in 2014. But according to the NGO, these rules are not always respected and abuses persist. In a comment sent to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Fifa said it was “currently evaluating the proposal by Amnesty” and other NGOs, saying that it ” involves a wide range of public infrastructure built (in Qatar) since 2010 which is not necessarily linked to the World Cup”. Criticized since being awarded the first World Cup in an Arab country, Qatar carried out major reforms, abolished ing the sponsorship system making employees quasi-properties of their employer and establishing a minimum hourly wage. The country firmly rejects the death tolls on construction sites put forward by international media. With AFP