Qatar World Cup: Rights groups demand worker compensation

With the World Cup just days away, the spotlight is shining on Qatar, the controversial hosts of the tournament.

RTÉ Soccer Correspondent Tony O'Donoghue reports from Doha on calls for compensation for the families of the migrant workers who lost their lives in the building of the stadia and infrastructure in the tiny Gulf state.

Human rights groups have demanded that FIFA, football’s world governing body, and Qatar compensate migrant workers and their families for human rights abuses suffered in the building of World Cup infrastructure.

Amnesty International has called on FIFA and Qatar to publicly commit to establishing a comprehensive remediation programme of $440m, the equivalent of the prize money on offer during the four-week tournament, to provide remedy for all abuses related to the preparation and delivery of the World Cup and for the funding of programmes to prevent further abuses.

With less than a week to go until kick-off in the opening game of the tournament between the hosts Qatar and Ecuador on Sunday, Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice said time is running out for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to commit to compensating migrant workers for the abuses suffered during preparations for the tournament.

"Unless he breaks his silence on the issue of compensation, Gianni Infantino looks set to refuse a golden opportunity to leave a World Cup legacy that respects and honours the workers who made it possible," Mr Cockburn said.

"He has been presented with reams of evidence about the human consequences of the last twelve years, and a concrete proposal to help victims and their families rebuild their lives, so the message from Zurich and Doha cannot simply be to focus on