'Your family were migrants': activists hit FIFA boss' hometown to call for World Cup compensation

Record ID: 1701306

  • Title: 'Your family were migrants': activists hit FIFA boss' hometown to call for World Cup compensation
  • Date: 7th December 2022
  • Summary: BRIG, SWITZERLAND (DECEMBER 7, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TRUCKS WITH BILLBOARDS READING (English): "Infantino: Your family were migrants" / "Thousands like them were victims of this World Cup" / "Compensate them now" PROTESTER WEARING SUIT AND MASK OF FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO, WALKING TRUCKS, PROTESTERS AND JOURNALISTS MASKED PROTESTER WITH CARDBOARD CUTOUT OF WORLD CUP TROPHY MASKED PROTESTER AND SENIOR CAMPAIGNER AT AVAAZ, ANDREW LEGON, HOLDING SIGN READING (English): "Infantino, 723,617 people say: Compensate World Cup victims" (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR CAMPAIGNER AT AVAAZ, ANDREW LEGON, ADDRESSING PROTESTER DRESSED AS INFANTINO, SAYING: "Compensate the victims of this World Cup - 750,000 people are calling on you to compensate them. Now we can shake hands." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR CAMPAIGNER AT AVAAZ, ANDREW LEGON, SAYING: "We're here in Brig, which is the President of FIFA's hometown and we're here to remind him of the need for him to urgently compensate the victims of this World Cup. Thousands were affected, exploited and abused for this World Cup that is happening right now, and he needs to compensate them with a fund of at least 440 million dollars. He is the son of migrants, he has repeatedly said this himself, and so what better place to remind him of his heritage, and the fact that his reputation is now on the line if he does not commit to compensating these victims?" VARIOUS VIEWS OF STOCKALPER PALACE AND MOUNTAINS IN BACKGROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR CAMPAIGNER AT AVAAZ, ANDREW LEGON, SAYING: "We hope that this reaches him and reaches his ear, because ultimately he cannot shy away from this any longer. There is a global outcry of the need for this compensation fund. We have a petition of 750,000 people from around the world. We also have global polling from Amnesty International showing that 73% of people support the compensation fund, and others like football associations are calling on this as well. He really cannot hide from this issue any longer." MASKED PROTESTER WALKING TOWARDS TRUCK MASKED PROTESTER AT WHEEL OF TRUCK AND HONKING HORN MASKED PROTESTER DRIVING AWAY IN TRUCK VARIOUS VIEWS OF BRIG VARIOUS OF SIGN READING: "Brig"
  • Embargoed: 21st December 2022 16:37
  • Keywords: Doha FIFA Qatar football labour law migrant worker work accident
  • Location: BRIG, SWITZERLAND
  • City: BRIG, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Europe,Sport,World Cup
  • Reuters ID: LVA001513807122022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: An activist group erected billboards in FIFA boss Gianni Infantino's Swiss hometown of Brig on Wednesday (December 7) to demand the world soccer body compensate migrant workers for alleged human rights abuses ahead of the Qatar World Cup.
    The protest, staged by the Avaaz campaign group, also included an Infantino impersonator holding a replica World Cup trophy.
    Qatar, where foreigners make up most of the 2.9 million population, has faced intense criticism from human rights groups over its treatment of migrant workers.
    Britain's Guardian newspaper reported last year that at least 6,500 migrants -- many of them working on World Cup projects -- had died in Qatar since it won the right in 2010 to stage the World Cup.
    Hassan Al Thawadi, the secretary general of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said in a TV interview with British journalist Piers Morgan last month that the number of migrant worker deaths at World Cup-related projects was "between 400 and 500."
    Amnesty and other rights groups have led calls for FIFA to compensate migrant workers in Qatar for human rights abuses by setting aside $440 million, matching the World Cup prize money.
    FIFA has said it was assessing Amnesty's proposal and implementing an "unprecedented due diligence process in relation to the protection of workers involved."
    FIFA has said it was working with the organising committee and had already compensated a number of workers.
    It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
    The EU parliament last month approved a resolution that calls on FIFA to help compensate the families of migrant workers who died, as well as workers who suffered rights abuses, during preparations for the World Cup.
    (Production: Arnd Wiegmann, Manuel Ausloos)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register