Amnesty International has criticised the FA for “lacking the courage to speak out far more clearly” against alleged human rights abuses in Qatar ahead of this winter’s World Cup.
The accusation comes as part of Amnesty’s final report assessing progress made by Qatari authorities into the issue.
Although the exact number is not known, human rights organizations agree that hundreds of migrants died while building infrastructure projects for the World Cup. Many others are still waiting for compensation for injuries or owed wages.
Amnesty acknowledges that “Qatar’s overhaul of its labour system since 2017 has led to some noticeable improvements for the country’s two million migrant workers” but claims “a lack of effective implementation and enforcement has undermined their impact”.
It also alleges that “the deaths of thousands of migrant workers remain unexplained”, and claims that “many workers, particularly in the domestic and security sectors, continue to be subjected to conditions that amount to forced labour”.
Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s head of economic and social justice, said: “Although Qatar has made important strides on labour rights over the past five years, it’s abundantly clear that there is a great distance still to go.
“Thousands of workers remain stuck in the familiar cycle of exploitation and abuse thanks to legal loopholes and inadequate enforcement.
“With the World Cup looming, the job of protecting migrant workers from exploitation is only half done, while that of compensating those who have suffered abuses has barely started.
