World Cup: EU Calls On FIFA To Help Families Of Dead Workers In Qatar

The European Union (EU) Parliament, on Thursday, voted in favour of a resolution that calls on the soccer governing body, FIFA, to help compensate the families of the migrant workers who died, as well as workers who suffered rights abuses, during preparations for the ongoing 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

MEPs also urged the Qatari authorities to conduct a full investigation into human rights abuses in the run-up to the competition.

The resolution also deplored reports of abuses of the LGBTQ+ community in Qatar and called on the country to decriminalise same-sex relations.

A number of MEPs were wearing “OneLove” armbands, which seven European World Cup captains backed out from wearing following FIFA pressure.

The Qatari government did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Since FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup hosting right to Qatar in 2010, the country has changed some of its labour laws and, ahead of the World Cup, organisers repeatedly said that everyone was welcome – although Human Rights Watch said LGBTQ+ people were arrested in the run-up to the World Cup tournament.