FIFA alerted over labour Abuses ahead of Qatar 2022

FIFA must use the “full extent of its influence” to help end the abuse of migrant workers in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Amnesty International has said.

The next FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin in the country in November 2022, with the latest round of qualifying matches taking place this week.

In a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Amnesty has called on FIFA to use “its influence, publicly and privately, to urge Qatar to fully implement and enforce its labour reforms and take further measures to protect all workers from labour abuse”.

In February a report in media  calculated that 6,500 migrant workers — from countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka  had died on construction projects since Qatar was awarded the World Cup by FIFA a decade ago.

The findings,compiled from government sources, mean that an average of 12 migrant workers from those five south Asian nations have died each week since Qatar was awarded the tournament, which is the most prestigious in the sport.

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Earlier this month The Athletic reported that the Norway national team was being encouraged to boycott the tournament finals on moral and ethical grounds.

Steve Cockburn, head of economic and social justice at Amnesty International, has said: “As the World Cup organising body, FIFA has a responsibility under international standards to mitigate human rights risks arising from the tournament.