Migrant workers face ‘cycle of abuse’ in Saudi Arabia before World Cup, UN told

A trade union organisation that represents 18 million African workers has submitted a complaint to the United Nations against labour practices in Saudi Arabia, calling for “immediate and decisive action” with the country poised to be granted World Cup hosting rights next month.

In an account that collates claims of malpractice and abuse alongside testimonies from migrant workers, the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) argues that “the relentless cycle of abuse and exploitation mark the daily existence of African migrant workers in Saudi Arabia.

“These workers, who play a crucial role in the economies of both their home countries and Saudi Arabia, face relentless exploitation, including wage theft, forced labour, unsafe working conditions and egregious violations of their dignity and rights under the Kafala system.

“Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup raises severe concerns about the potential escalation of these abuses. Without immediate and decisive action, the situation is likely to worsen, resulting in more preventable deaths and further violations of human and labour rights. The treatment of African migrant workers in Saudi Arabia represents a clear and egregious violation of international human rights laws, most notably the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.”

Fifa is a signatory to the UN Guiding Principles and article three of its statutes reads: “Fifa is committed to respecting all internationally recognised human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.” But football’s governing body has been the subject of multiple accusations that it has failed to properly engage with the human rights risks of taking the world’s biggest sporting tournament to Saudi Arabia.

ITUC-Africa has also written a letter to the president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), Dr Patrice Motsepe. It says that African workers in Saudi Arabia are “given the most crude and brutal human treatment”, and calls on Motsepe, an ally of the Fifa president Gianni Infantino, to “compel Fifa to respect its commitment to human rights as enshrined in its statutes and reinforced through the Fifa Human Rights Policy”. ITUC-Africa says it has received no response to its correspondence, sent on 15 October.

ITUC-Africa says it was able to work constructively with Qatari officials before and after the 2022 World Cup to help improve conditions for African workers in the country. But with trade unions and external NGOs not recognised in Saudi Arabia, there has been no such process enabled in the country.

“Saudi Arabia’s treatment of migrant workers encourages whimsical and egregious human and labour rights violations,” said Akhator Joel Odigie, the general secretary of ITUC-Africa. “The abuse against African migrant workers is worse, profound and gut-wrenching. The abuse in law and practice gives strong credence to the growing assertion that black lives are cheap, expendable and do not matter in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“We focus on Saudi Arabia because we want to drive a domino effect of progressive labour migration reform in the Middle East. A genuine, collaborative, inclusive and successful labour law reform in Saudi Arabia will be akin to driving ‘water from the hill to the valley’.”

Fifa is due to confirm the host of the 2034 World Cup on 11 December at a virtual congress of its 211 member nations. Saudi Arabia will be the only name on the ballot but a growing number of voices have called on Fifa to think again before taking a vote. This week two US senators wrote to Infantino pleading with him to “seek out a host country with a record of upholding human rights”. That intervention followed a report from senior lawyers, including former Fifa governance experts, warning of the human rights risks of taking the tournament to Saudi, and there have been further complaints from NGOs and trade unions in Europe. Now the expressions of concern have extended to Africa.

Fifa and the Saudi ministry of human resources and social development have been approached for comment.