Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, players on the Australian national team have called on Qatar to “establish a lasting legacy” by making progress on numerous human rights issues.
Professional Footballers Australia, the union for Australian professional players, distributed a video stating their desire for Qatar to firm up existing reforms, and to make further moves to protect human rights. A resource center for migrant workers, the decriminalization of same-sex relationships, and a remedy for those who have previously been denied their rights were among the specific items the PFA cited.
“We’re not experts, but we have listened to groups such as Amnesty, FIFA, the Supreme Committee (Qatar’s state-run arm for World Cup infrastructure and planning), the International Labor Organization, FIFPRO, and most importantly, the migrant workers of Qatar,” said the statement, which was read by numerous Australian players. “We stand with the likes of FIFPRO, the Building and Woodworkers International and the International Trade Union Confederation in seeking to embed reforms and establish a lasting legacy in Qatar.”
Qatar has drawn criticism from numerous countries for various human rights shortcomings, including a lack of rights for women, criminalizing homosexuality, unsafe work conditions and a lack of freedom of movement for migrant laborers.
The U.S. men’s national team says it has been “educating” players on the issues at hand and giving them the chance to speak out if they so choose. Denmark will wear kits designed by manufacturer Hummel as a visual protest. Multiple European team captains have sought permission to wear #OneLove armbands instead of the FIFA-mandated neutral version.
The statement from the PFA comes just one day after the Qatari head of state, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, railed against critics of the country’s track record on human rights.
“Since we won the honor of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has faced,” the Qatari emir told the country’s legislative council.
That pushback comes despite in-depth reporting pointing to thousands of migrant workers dying in the 12 years since the country secured World Cup hosting rights. Last year, The Guardian reported that over 6,500 migrant workers had died since FIFA selected Qatar as its destination for 2022.
Australian players call for human rights in Qatar
A message from our @Socceroos on the @FIFAWorldCup #SupportingThePlayers pic.twitter.com/bUqW2pne1w
— Professional Footballers Australia (@thepfa) October 26, 2022
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