FA chief Mark Bullingham makes extraordinary claim migrant workers in Qatar support the World Cup

Human rights groups have reacted with anger after FA chief executive Mark Bullingham made the extraordinary claim that migrant workers in Qatar are fully behind the World Cup.

Research last year found that 6,500 migrant workers had been killed in the Gulf state since it won the right to host the tournament in 2010, with an Amnesty International report highlighting the unsafe conditions for those building stadiums and infrastructure.

England’s players are being urged to follow the lead of Germany and Denmark by calling out the appalling treatment of workers, with Bullingham confirming the FA will hold a meeting with stars over their response to human rights issues next week ahead of the tournament in November. 

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham claimed migrant workers in Qatar support the World Cup

However, the FA were labelled ‘overly complacent’ on Tuesday following Bullingham’s response to a question about Qatar during a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee hearing on Tuesday.

Bullingham told MPs: ‘We have had several visits out there to meet migrant workers and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to really understand where the country has made progress and where there are still significant gaps in terms of human rights.

‘We have a meeting with our players next week to talk them through that and understood how we will respond accordingly. But the one thing I would say is that all of the migrant workers and NGOs we have met on the ground have been very clear that they want the World Cup to go ahead in Qatar.

‘By having regular visits there, we are helping shine a light on the country and drive positive change.’

Bullingham’s comments went unchallenged by MPs but were heavily criticised last night by Amnesty, who held a meeting with the FA as recently as last week.

Felix Jakens, the organisation’s head of priority campaigns, told Sportsmail: ‘After all the promises from the Qatari authorities, there are still very serious labour issues in the country and Mark Bullingham’s comments reflect an overly complacent FA approach.

‘Despite his upbeat assessment, the fact remains that many migrant workers have suffered chronic overwork in the Qatari heat or had their wages withheld by unscrupulous employers.

‘Remember, many of the migrant workers who’ve been exploited in Qatar have been exploited on World Cup construction projects, including building the stadiums.

‘Neither the FA nor FIFA have done enough to challenge labour abuses in Qatar, or seek proper remedy for those whose rights have been violated.’

Nicholas McGeehan, a human rights researcher with Fair Square Projects, who joined Amnesty and Human Rights Watch in last week’s meeting, also expressed bewilderment at Bullingham’s remarks.

The FA were labelled ‘overly complacent’ for their comments on the Qatar 2022 World Cup

He said: ‘It would be preferable if the FA focused on the facts and on its responsibilities to take a positive stance on migrant worker issues in Qatar rather than speculating on the entirely irrelevant issue of what migrant workers think about the World Cup, especially when that’s based on a sample of a handful of cherry-picked workers.

‘There are several thousands of families whose loved ones’ views on the World Cup can never be canvassed because they came home in body bags. Only last week, Human Rights Watch revealed how migrant workers involved in Qatar 2022 construction had gone unpaid for five months. The FA can make its concerns on issues like this clear.’

As well as painting a bleak picture of immigrants toiling in brutal heat on stadiums and infrastructure projects, last year’s Amnesty report found that the Qataris were failing to keep promises to abolish the hated kafala system, which restricts migrant workers from leaving the country or changing jobs without their employer’s permission. The Qatari Government brushed off Amnesty’s findings.

Last November, Amnesty’s UK chief executive Sacha Deshmukh urged England’s players and coaching staff to use their position as influencers and speak up, though none has yet done so. Manager Gareth Southgate said last autumn that they need to educate themselves better before being able to do that.

By last November, the FA had attended only three meetings with Amnesty in as many years. The FA signed a ‘memorandum of understanding’ with Qatar in 2018, though the governing body insists it is not making any money out of that arrangement.