Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

FIFA: Swiss want justice for foreign workers in Qatar

Swiss citizens want FIFA to compensate foreign workers whose human rights were violated during preparations for the World Cup to be hosted by Qatar in late 2022, according to a poll commissioned by Amnesty International. The Zurich-based world football governing body says measures have already been taken.


Workers walk to the Lusail Stadium, one of the 2022 World Cup stadiums, in Lusail, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 20, 2019.
Workers walk to the Lusail Stadium, one of the 2022 World Cup stadiums, in Lusail, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 20, 2019. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

The survey conducted by YouGov took the opinion of more than 17,000 people in 15 countries. Globally, the demand is supported by nearly three-quarters (73%) of participants, according to a Thursday statement issued by Amnesty International. It notes that support is even greater among people who say they would like to attend at least one World Cup match – 86% in Switzerland.

It also found that a clear majority of respondents want their national soccer federations to speak out publicly on human rights issues associated with the Qatar 2022 World Cup. In Switzerland, 70% of respondents want the Swiss Football Association (SFA) to take a stand.

“Fans do not want a World Cup indelibly stained by human rights violations,” said Lisa Salza, head of the Sport and Human Rights campaign for Amnesty International Switzerland.

For its part, FIFA – in a statement issued the same day – indicates that a “wide range of measures” have already been taken in recent years to improve worker protection in Qatar. It adds these developments have occurred largely because of the World Cup and under pressure from FIFA.

Workers have also been “compensated in various ways when companies have not complied with the rules applied by FIFA and the host country to ensure the protection of the workers involved,” the sports federation said.

Qatari authorities are regularly criticised by international NGOs for the treatment of hundreds of thousands of workers, particularly from Asia, at the major construction sites for the 2022 World Cup, which is scheduled to begin November 20.

But Doha defends itself by stressing that it has taken measures to improve conditions for foreign workers, imposing a minimum wage and banning employers from preventing their workers from leaving the country or changing jobs.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

No Swiss bank in phase with environmental objectives

More

Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF

This content was published on None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.

Read more: Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF
UNRWA provides emergency assistance to just over one million Palestine refugees, or about 75 per cent of all Palestine refugees in Gaza, who lack the financial means to cover their basic food.

More

Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

This content was published on The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.

Read more: Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR