2022 FIFA World Cup: Amnesty demands over €400m in damages for Qatar workers

Amnesty International has called on FIFA to compensate migrant workers in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

The NGO has demanded that football's world governing body pay at least $440 million (€416 million) in damages.

World Cup host Qatar has been repeatedly criticised for "abusing" migrant workers' rights on construction sites, while FIFA has also been slammed for its response to the allegations.

"FIFA should spend at least $440 million to repair the damage suffered by hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who were victims of human rights abuses in Qatar during preparations for the 2022 World Cup," Amnesty said in a statement.

The sum -- according to the NGO -- is equivalent to the prize money that will be shared by the 32 countries participating in the World Cup.

Amnesty added that the compensation is the "minimum necessary" to compensate the workers and protect them from future violations.

"With six months to go before the World Cup kicks off, abuses will continue unabated unless the action plan put in place by FIFA and its partners is properly implemented," the statement read.

"However, it is already too late to erase the past suffering, and it is time for FIFA and Qatar to put things right."

Amnesty did however welcome social reforms in Qatar since 2018 and some improvement to working conditions on the World Cup construction sites.

In a comment sent to AFP, FIFA said it was "currently assessing the proposal of Amnesty" and other NGOs.

Qatar meanwhile firmly rejects the number of deaths on the building sites that have been quoted by international media and human rights organisations.