Amnesty: Canada Soccer's inaction on workers' fund could leave 'lasting stain'

Amnesty International has issued a scathing letter to Canada Soccer regarding its failure to publicly support a remedy fund for serious abuses and deaths of migrant workers during Qatar's World Cup preparations, warning that continued inaction could leave a "lasting stain" on the Canadian men's team's long-awaited return to the tournament.

Amnesty International, along with other human rights groups and labor unions, has urged FIFA to match the $440 million it will pay in prize money at the 2022 World Cup to compensate workers for abuses such as death, injury, and wage theft since Qatar was awarded the tournament in 2010.

At least 12 football associations have supported the remedial proposal - known as the #PayUpFIFA campaign - but Canada Soccer isn't among them.

Amnesty International sent the letter to Canada Soccer on Friday and released it to the public at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday. It was signed by Ketty Nivyabandi, the secretary general of Amnesty International Canada.

"Sports fans across the country are looking to our national soccer federation not to shy away from addressing the serious, widespread harms experienced by those who made this World Cup a reality," the letter read.

"Your organization's deafening silence on fair compensation for affected migrant workers and their families is a failure of leadership and could leave a lasting stain on Canada's re-emergence on soccer's biggest stage."

Amnesty International urged the association to publicly back the initiative before 2 p.m. ET on Nov. 23 - the kickoff time for Canada's first men's World Cup match since 1986 against Belgium.

The organization also demanded that Canada Soccer commits to a meeting within the next 30 days to discuss its "response to human rights violations connected to the Qatar World Cup" and develop an action plan to become a "leader in the field of sports and human rights" before Canada co-hosts the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Mexico.

"Despite recent changes to Qatari labor law, migrant workers still experience delayed or unpaid wages, denial of rest days, unsafe working conditions, barriers to changing jobs, and limited access to justice," the letter noted.

"On top of the country's labor record, homosexuality is outlawed in Qatar - for example, sexual acts between men are punishable by a prison sentence of up to seven years - and Qatari law continues to treat women as second-class citizens in employment, education, and health care."

Canada Soccer issued a statement on Oct. 28 clarifying its position on workers' rights and inclusivity. The move came after The Voyageurs - Canada's most prominent soccer supporters' group - and human rights campaigners told theScore of their disgust over the association's silence.

Canada Soccer insisted it had been "actively engaged" in human rights issues and had "met and (was) provided presentations by the International Labour Organization and Amnesty International where good discussions and updates were shared from both organizations."

Amnesty International told theScore it met with Canada Soccer once in July.

"We urged them to fulfill their human rights responsibility by conducting proper due diligence to identify human rights risks linked to sending their team to Qatar, putting in place an action plan to prevent these risks, and ultimately be transparent about the steps they have taken to mitigate them," Amnesty International's global Migrant Labour working group explained to theScore.

"However, no follow-up discussions took place, and it remains unclear for us what steps they have taken so far to meet their responsibility. We also urged the delegation to use their leverage - especially as the next host - to pressure FIFA to commit to remedy abused workers, but we did not receive any encouraging signs that this might be considered."

The 2022 World Cup opens Sunday when the host nation faces Ecuador.