GENEVA: FIFA wants to help workers in Qatar get compensation for being injured while building projects for the World Cup, one of the soccer body’s top officials told European lawmakers on Thursday.
Soccer federations in Europe have supported calls for a fund since Amnesty International said FIFA should contribute $440 million toward reparations — matching the total prize money FIFA will pay to the 32 national teams playing in Qatar next month.
Qatar has faced intense scrutiny of the physical and contractual conditions for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who were needed in the tiny emirate since the World Cup hosting rights were won 12 years ago.
Compensation is “certainly something that we’re interested in progressing,” FIFA deputy secretary general Alasdair Bell told a Council of Europe session on labor rights in Qatar.
“It’s important to try to see that anyone who suffered injury as a consequence of working in the World Cup, that that is somehow redressed,” Bell told lawmakers from the 46-nation group at their meeting in Strasbourg, France.
FIFA was urged on Thursday to use its leverage with the World Cup host nation by the official who publicly criticized Qatar when global soccer leaders met in Doha this year.
Ensuring compensation is paid should be a key target for FIFA to secure a positive legacy in Qatar after the World Cup, Norwegian soccer federation president Lise Klaveness told lawmakers.
“It is difficult to frame it in but it is necessary, also for historical abuses, injuries and deaths,” she said, adding that a lack of independent investigations of unexplained worker fatalities in Qatar was an “elephant in the room.”
FIFA’s Bell agreed with Klaveness that a reparations fund “is not the simplest thing to put into place” and would need clear rules and oversight.
“But this is certainly something that we’re interested in progressing,” he said.
It was not specified on Thursday if compensation money should come from FIFA, Qatari authorities or the construction firms who employed the workers, many from south Asia and the Philippines.
Qatar has set up a workers’ support fund which, since 2020, has paid $164 million in compensation to more than 36,000 workers from 17 different countries, Human Rights Watch said in August citing government data.
Qatari authorities and World Cup organizers were also praised in Strasbourg for passing labor law reforms including a minimum wage.
“It is not just fluff, it’s real, and it is delivering some tangible benefits that have actually improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people,” Bell said.
“The risk,” he acknowledged, “is that once the spotlight is turned off after the World Cup it’s really important that these changes remain and are built upon and hopefully even spread wider in the Middle East.”
Bell said it was also important for migrant workers to have access to a “safe haven” in Qatar to learn their legal rights — a project backed by the global soccer players’ union FIFPRO that Klaveness also highlighted.
FIFA open to compensation fund for migrant workers in Qatar
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FIFA open to compensation fund for migrant workers in Qatar
- Soccer federations in Europe have supported calls for a fund since Amnesty International said FIFA should contribute $440 million toward reparations
- Compensation is “certainly something that we’re interested in progressing,” said FIFA deputy secretary general Alasdair Bell
Alcaraz and Sabalenka set sights on Australian Open fourth round
- Spanish world number one Alcaraz came through a tough three-set arm-wrestle in round two
- Top seed Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, faces Russia-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova
MELBOURNE: Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka return to the Australian Open battlefield on Friday with fourth round berths at stake, joined in the fight by third seeds Coco Gauff and Alexander Zverev.
Spanish world number one Alcaraz came through a tough three-set arm-wrestle in round two and faces another tricky encounter against French 32nd seed Corentin Moutet.
The 22-year-old has again been handed an afternoon match on Rod Laver Arena, once more following Sabalenka on to Melbourne Park’s center court.
The Belarusian top seed Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, faces Russia-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova to kick-off day six where temperatures are forecast to soar.
Alcaraz, who is bidding for a career Grand Slam of all four majors, said his testing 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 victory over Yannick Hanfmann in round two served him well.
“I’m still getting used to the conditions, getting used to playing better,” said the six-time Grand Slam winner.
“Just happy that I’m just improving every day after every match. So hopefully being better in the next round.”
Alcaraz has never gone past the quarter-finals in his four trips to Australia.
Should he beat Moutet, he will meet either American 19th seed Tommy Paul or Spanish 14th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to make the last eight once again.
Sabalenka, as the overwhelming favorite, was upset by Madison Keys in last year’s final but insists revenge is not her motivation.
“I look at each match as a new match, new opportunity. I have also been working really hard,” she said.
“For me, it doesn’t matter what was in the past. For me, it’s the new match.”
Like Sabalenka, Gauff has been impressive so far, saying she was “near perfect” in making the third round.
She faces fellow American Hailey Baptiste, ranked 70, on Margaret Court Arena.
World number three Gauff takes to the court after Russia’s three-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev, who lines up against Hungary’s Fabian Marozan.
Last year’s beaten finalist Zverev has dropped a set in both his opening two matches and will have a tough encounter in an evening clash on John Cain Arena against British 26th seed Cameron Norrie.
Women’s seventh seed Jasmine Paolini and men’s 10th seed Alexander Bublik are also in action.
Home hope and sixth seed Alex De Minaur has again been awarded the night match on center court, this time against dangerous American Frances Tiafoe.
Eighth seed Mirra Andreeva rounds out the day’s action on Rod Laver Arena in a clash with Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
