420 million euros! That is the sum that human rights organizations and fans are demanding from FIFA – as compensation for migrant workers on the construction sites for the World Cup in Qatar. The world soccer association, however, continues to deny this demand.

Human rights organizations and soccer fans are demanding millions in compensation payments from world governing body FIFA for migrant workers in Qatar. For numerous human rights violations since the awarding of the World Cup in 2010, at least 440 million U.S. dollars (about 420 million euros) would have to be provided, it says in an open letter from several organizations to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. This sum would correspond to the prize money at the final round at the end of the year.

The letter was signed, among others, by the human rights organizations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as the fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE). The massive violations of migrants’ rights in Qatar were known before the World Cup was awarded, said Amnesty Middle East expert Katja Müller-Fahlbusch. FIFA had turned a blind eye to this and thus undeniably contributed to human rights violations.

The world federation referred in a statement among other things to the fact that numerous workers had already received compensations by the tournament organizers. FIFA President Infantino had recently derided workers on construction sites. “One thing we must not forget when we talk about this issue: Work, hard work, exhausting work,” he had said at an event in Los Angeles, dodging a question about compensation payments from FIFA’s profits for the families of guest workers who died in Qatar.

Qatar is calm

The million-dollar amount demanded is a minimum, the organizations’ statement said. However, the total amount “for unpaid wages, extortionate facilitation fees and compensation for injuries and deaths could be much higher.” It should be determined “through a transparent and credible process,” it said.

Qatar is also obligated to pay compensation for human rights violations, the authors further write. They acknowledge that the Gulf emirate has strengthened migrants’ rights through labor reforms. However, they say the reforms have come too late for many workers and have only been partially enforced. The wealthy emirate has been repeatedly criticized for systematic human rights abuses and exploitation of migrants. The government rejects the accusations and cites reforms in favor of foreign workers. For example, the kafala system has been dismantled. This system ties foreign workers to a local guarantor like an employer and often opens the door to exploitation.

Qatar is home to some two million migrant workers, according to Amnesty. They come mainly from poor countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal or India. A large number of them work on construction sites. Many of them are connected to the World Cup. The World Cup starts on November 21 and runs until December 18.