FIFA rejects compensation for Qatar 2022 World Cup workers

FIFA released a report on the legacy of the 2022 World Cup last week, ignoring its committee’s recommendation for compensation for human losses during construction in Qatar. Instead, the football governing body unveiled a £39.4 million (€47.6m) "legacy fund," which excludes compensation.

Notably, the organisation's sub-committee on human rights and social responsibility concluded that FIFA has a "responsibility" to contribute to the compensation of workers affected by the preparation and delivery of the tournament. However, they have rejected this recommendation.

"There are workers who have contributed to the resounding success of the World Cup... who have not yet benefited from compensation or adequate redress," the report stated. The committee recommends FIFA "dedicate all or part of the 2022 World Cup Legacy Fund to further strengthening the legacy of the competition for migrant workers".

Much of the information is based on the findings of an independent investigation that uncovered "a series of serious human rights impacts that ultimately occurred in Qatar between 2010 and 2022 for several workers associated with the 2022 World Cup. These included: deaths, injuries and illnesses; wages not paid for months; and significant debts faced by workers and their families to repay fees paid to obtain jobs in Qatar," as reported by the BBC.

As a result, the report states that "FIFA and other organisations involved in the delivery of the World Cup... have a shared responsibility... to provide redress to affected workers." Controversy over the working conditions endured by workers during the years it took to build stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in the Gulf region has been ongoing.

In 2021, it was revealed that 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had died in Qatar since it won the bid to host the tournament in 2010. The Qatari government argued that not all the deaths were linked to work on World Cup-related projects. Organisers of the event said the death toll was "between 400 and 500."

Labour reforms and benefits for workers were introduced in 2017. The ongoing controversy over the record revenue generated - around £6 billion (€7.249m) - has always been at odds with FIFA's failure to implement a £350 million (€422.8m) compensation fund for the families of injured or deceased workers, instead committing to the Legacy Fund.

Amnesty International said, "It is no mystery why FIFA has tried to keep this independent report hidden for so long; it clearly concludes that the organisation has a responsibility to ensure remedies, including compensation, for hundreds of thousands of workers who have suffered abuses related to the 2022 World Cup. 

"It confirms what human rights organisations, trade unions, fans and now even FIFA's own Human Rights Subcommittee have been saying: it is time for FIFA to pay up," they added.

In response, FIFA said, "All reports and recommendations have been considered in a comprehensive review by the FIFA administration and relevant bodies. While not all recommendations could be implemented, practical and effective elements were retained. It should be noted that the study did not specifically constitute a legal assessment of the obligation to remedy."