Clare Daly before Qatar scandal at EP debates human rights situation in Qatar FIFA world cup 2022!!!

Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/eudebates Madam President, everybody knows, of course, that Qatar is one of the most repressive regimes in the world, where human rights simply don’t exist for the majority of the people. Of course, it’s not the only one, but the idea of improvements in minimum wage and labour conditions and so on really belies the reality for so many people – particularly the thousands who have lost their lives without any compensation. But for all the standing—up in here and crying about ‘sportswashing’ and giving out about football, the truth is that next week most people will come in here behind closed doors and agree to give Qatar the privilege of visa—free travel to the EU, a privilege that most countries – more than a hundred actually – in the world don’t have.

You’ll sign off on Qatari progress on human rights, even as the families of the dead are still mourning their loved ones. You’ll do it for oil and gas, because the EU has cut itself off from Russian energy as it’s an authoritarian regime fighting an illegal war, but you will do business with an authoritarian regime that’s fighting an illegal war in Yemen. Nobody’s fooled. If there was a world cup for hypocrisy, the EU would walk away the victors without a match being played!

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The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the human rights situation in Qatar, asking Qatar and FIFA to extend compensation for families of workers who suffered while building World Cup 2022 infrastructure.

“MEPs deplore the deaths of thousands of migrant workers primarily in the construction sector who helped the country prepare for the tournament, as well as all those injured,” the Parliament said in a statement. It added that it welcomes the compensation of families through the so-called Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund by the Qatari government, but regrets that not all families have access to the fund.

MEPs call on the Qatari government to include “all those affected since the work related to the FIFA World Cup began, covering also workers’ deaths and other human rights abuses.”

Lawmakers highlighted the role of FIFA, asking the world football governing body to participate in a “comprehensive remediation programme” for workers’ families and accused the body of suffering from “rampant, systemic and deep-rooted” corruption. “The organisation has seriously damaged the image and integrity of global football,” the resolution added.

At the same time the text acknowledged Qatar’s recent reforms in labor policies, saying the Parliament “supports Qatar’s recent efforts to improve the conditions and rights of workers, which the international community has raised, but calls for the full implementation of the adopted reforms.”

Qatar has faced criticism ever since it was awarded the tournament in 2010. Bribery and corruption allegations dogged the bidding process, and the country’s human rights record and treatment of migrant workers have been criticized by activists, politicians and football associations ahead of the World Cup.

The adopted resolution also criticizes Qatar’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community and women.

Antonius Manders, a Dutch conservative MEP, organized an initiative for lawmakers to wear “OneLove” armbands during the debate. Football players wearing these armbands during the World Cup risk “sporting sanctions” from FIFA in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.

Manders wanted to show that “we are against all kinds of discrimination and against the human rights breaches in Qatar by the FIFA.” But he added that he was “disappointed” that MEPs remained hesitant to stand up and show it. “There you see the power of the long arm of the FIFA,” he said.