The family did not receive any compensation for his death, and his employer even failed to pay the 15 days
of salary he was contractually owed. Devi, a mother of five, said, “When he was alive, there was an
assurance that there is someone who earns. Now after he died, our breadwinner is no longer alive. It is
very difficult.”
“Qatar’s worker’s rights reforms came very late in the World Cup preparation, are woefully inadequate,
and are poorly enforced,” said Worden. “Large numbers of migrant workers died because Qatar lacked a
human rights framework that protected workers and allowed them to report dangerous working
conditions, wage cheating, and forced labor. Workers do not need to die to deliver the World Cup or any
mega-sporting event.”
In 2016, FIFA adopted the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and
enshrined its responsibility to respect human rights in the FIFA Statutes. It also set up an independent
Human Rights Advisory Board, employed human rights staff, and set up a complaints mechanism for
human rights defenders. In 2017, FIFA adopted a human rights policy stating that human rights
commitments are binding on all FIFA bodies and officials.
Despite these positive developments, FIFA still needs to provide remedy to migrant workers who suffered
serious abuses or their families. This includes responsibility toward workers directly employed in World
Cup projects and those who have built and serviced a wider range of projects for tournament preparation
and delivery, including transportation, accommodations, security, and cleaning, among others.
FIFA needs to work with Qatari authorities in the six-month leadup to the 2022 World Cup to establish a
comprehensive program to address abuses suffered by migrant workers, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty
International, Fair Square, and the other coalition members said. FIFA should set aside at least $440
million, equivalent to the prize money provided to 2022 World Cup teams, to invest in funds to
compensate workers and improve worker protections.
The remediation program should be governed in a participatory way following consultation with
stakeholders, including migrant workers, surviving family members, and trade unions. It needs to be
easily accessible to workers and their families, many of whom will no longer be in Qatar. And it needs to
offer a timely remedy for a wide range of unaddressed abuses since 2010.
Players, fans, FIFA sponsors, national football associations, and others can play an important role in
securing a positive legacy for this World Cup by calling for support for a compensation fund to remedy
the harm to migrant workers, Human Rights Watch said.
“The deaths of migrant workers in Qatar have taken a massive emotional and financial toll on their
families,” Worden said. “In line with FIFA’s human rights commitments and Qatar’s obligations, they