Now, as England prepares for the 2022 World Cup that is just 2 months away, the UEFA Nations League matches against Germany and Italy are also coming up. Gareth Southgate and other representatives are scheduled to make a statement against Qatar, the current host for the World Cup.
The story of Qatar’s alleged human rights abuse has been a topic of conversation in the sports world and there have been calls to even boycott the entire game in the press. Some are even accusing Qatar of bribing FIFA officials to be able to host the games in their nation, however, this is all allegations.
Captain Harry Kane, a footballer for Tottenham has discussed with other players to make a symbolic gesture against the human rights violation that has allegedly happened in Qatar. He has also called upon Christian Eriksen, Virgin van Dijk and Hugo Lloris to join in his gesture.
The FA was criticised for not taking a stance against these human rights allegations by the media. Furthermore, the UEFA Working Group has endorsed the establishment of a Workers’ Centre in Qatar which would then demand compensation for the dead or injured workers and their families.
The FA now are in deep waters under pressure to persuade Qatar to create the Workers’ Centre. It is unknown if they will support the Amnesty International-led campaign. However, even if such an organisation was created, how would we know if the funds are directed to the victims’ rightful family members in an honest method?
It was further alleged that numerous young men working long hours coupled with the extreme heat of Qatar have died. There were no post mortems of their deaths and they were all ruled out as natural deaths.
Steve Cockburn, the head of Economic and Social Justice for Amnesty International said, “Across the globe, people are united in their desire to see FIFA step up and make amends for the suffering endured by migrant workers in Qatar.”
“The past cannot be undone, but a compensation program is a clear and simple way that FIFA and Qatar can provide at least some measure of redress to the hundreds of thousands of workers who made this tournament possible.
“With less than 50 days until kick off, the clock is ticking. But there is still time for FIFA to do the right thing. Supporters don’t want a World Cup that’s indelibly tainted by human rights abuses.”