Earlier this week, Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and Amnesty International France (AIF) convened a meeting with representatives of French fans’ organisations to discuss the situation for migrant workers in Qatar ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Over the past few years, FSE and AIF have worked together to raise awareness about ongoing human rights violations in the country.
After the meeting, AIF President Cécile Coudriou said:
“At the European level, our two organisations communicate regularly. FSE’s sense of commitment is remarkable. And this commitment is proof that football and respect for human rights are perfectly compatible. That is why we have chosen to intensify our common fight in the run up to the World Cup.”
FSE Executive Director Ronan Evain echoed Coudriou’s comments:
“We closely follow Amnesty International’s research on human rights in Qatar, which is well documented and globally recognised. For us, it is essential that national federations listen to these concerns. Fans in France want the subject to be raised within the French Football Federation (FFF) because human rights concern us all.”
A joint press release added:
“Now is the time to alert French fans to human rights issues in Qatar. We have less than a year to make a difference for migrant workers. Both the FFF and FIFA must seriously consider and implement our recommendations in order to realise their responsibilities.”
Read the full press release (in French).
Alongside Amnesty and seven other NGOs and trade unions, FSE is a member of the Sport and Rights Alliance (SRA). The SRA works to embed human rights and anti-corruption across world sport.
Visit the SRA website and follow the SRA Twitter account to learn more about our ongoing campaigns and how to get involved.