BRUSSELS (Reuters)

The European Union (EU) parliament today (November 24) voted in favour of a resolution that calls on FIFA to help compensate the families of the migrant workers who died, as well as workers who suffered rights abuses, during preparations for the World Cup.

MEPs also urged the Qatari authorities to conduct a full investigation into human rights abuses in the run-up to the competition.

The resolution also deplored reports of abuses of the LGBTQ+ community in Qatar and called on the country to decriminalise same-sex relations.

A number of MEPs were wearing the anti-hate ‘OneLove’ armbands which seven European World Cup captains backed out from wearing following FIFA pressure.

The Qatari government did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Since FIFA awarded the World Cup to Qatar in 2010, the country has changed some of its labour laws and, ahead of the World Cup, organisers repeatedly said that everyone was welcome – although Human Rights Watch said LGBT people were arrested in the run-up to the World Cup.