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(CNN) --
Human rights group Amnesty International has urged FIFA to allocate at least US$440 million to compensate migrant workers it says have suffered labor abuses in preparations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In an open letter sent to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Amnesty International and a selection of other human rights groups say that world soccer's governing body must work with Qatar to "establish a comprehensive program to ensure that all labor abuses to which FIFA contributed".
"With six months to go before the opening of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers have not received adequate redress, including financial compensation, for the serious labor abuses they suffered during the construction and maintenance of essential infrastructure for the preparation and hosting of the World Cup in Qatar," the letter said.
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"FIFA must set aside an amount of no less than the US$440 million in prize money offered to teams participating in the World Cup, to be invested in funds to support repairs."
The treatment of migrant workers in Qatar during the preparations for the tournament has been the subject of much criticism.
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Amnesty International says the problems, including unsafe working conditions and excessive hours, are "widespread" in the country.
The letter also says that the Qatari authorities "have failed to investigate the causes of the deaths of thousands of migrant workers since 2010."
While acknowledging the progress made to protect workers' rights in the country, he says aid is coming too late and the country's "kafala sponsorship system" allows "unscrupulous employers to abuse migrant workers with impunity." .
"While it may be too late to erase the suffering of past abuses, FIFA and Qatar can and must act to provide redress and prevent further abuses," said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
"Providing compensation to the workers who have given so much to make the tournament possible, and taking steps to ensure these abuses do not happen again, could represent a major turning point in FIFA's commitment to respecting human rights."
FIFA's response
FIFA welcomed Amnesty's acknowledgment of labor reforms in the country and stated that, together with Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), it was "implementing a due diligence process unprecedented" in relation to the protection of workers involved in the preparations for the World Cup.
It also said it was "currently assessing Amnesty International's proposed programme", but that the report covered "a wide range of non-World Cup-specific public infrastructure built since 2010".
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"When companies working in connection with the FIFA World Cup fail to fulfill their obligations, FIFA and the Supervisory Committee work to ensure that the wrongdoing is remedied by the entity that caused the impact, usually the company that employs the respective worker. "A FIFA spokesman said in a statement to CNN.
"As a consequence of worker welfare initiatives by the tournament organizers, countless workers have received redress in various ways, including payment of outstanding wages, reimbursement of recruitment fees through the universal reimbursement scheme SC and other forms of compensation.
"As part of the SC's effort to ensure reimbursement of recruitment fees, for example, workers have received payments totaling $22.6 million through December 2021, with another $5.7 million committed by the contractors.
"Other forms of remedy include strengthening the company's practice to ensure non-repetition, or punitive measures imposed by tournament organizers or the Ministry of Labor."
Infantino's comments
In a statement, the SC said it "has worked tirelessly to ensure that the rights of all workers involved in the Qatar FIFA World Cup projects are respected."
Qatari officials have strongly refuted allegations of worker rights abuses in previous statements.
Earlier this year, Qatar 2022 Secretary General Hassan Al Thawadi said his country had "dedicated 12 years of continuous work to organizing a tournament that leaves a truly transformative social, human, economic and environmental legacy."
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In response to Amnesty International's latest report, Qatar's Ministry of Labor stated that "the country's labor reforms will continue to be carried out at a pace that ensures holistic and lasting change."
"The new report undermines much of the goodwill that has been generated. Compromise will always work better than convictions, especially when unreasonably demanded," a statement read.
Earlier this month, Infantino was asked if FIFA would engage with the families of people who died in preparation for the tournament.
"When it comes to the construction of the World Cup stadiums - we are investigating all these issues with outside entities - there are actually three people who died," he said, referring to criticism leveled at FIFA and Qatari officials. about migrant workers.
"When you give someone a job, even under harsh conditions, you give them dignity and pride. It's not charity, it's not charity. You don't give someone something and say, 'Okay, stay where you are. I feel good because I can give you something.
The 2022 World Cup will be held between November 21 and December 18 this year.
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