UK – FairSquare

UK: Call to remove clause in new bill that could increase state ownership of English football clubs

FairSquare, in partnership with ALQST for Human Rights and NUFC Against Sportswashing, has urged the UK government, in a letter sent on 9 April 2024, to remove a clause from its Football Governance Bill that could have the effect of increasing state ownership of English football clubs.

UK: Worker Interest Group scrutinises government’s responses to parliamentary committee

FairSquare and other members of the Worker Interest Group have provided a parliamentary committee with detailed analysis of the British government’s response to questions on the seasonal agricultural worker scheme relating to migrant worker rights.

When soft power is spent: Gaza, Ukraine, and Europeans’ standing in the Arab world

In an article published by the European Council on Foreign Relations, FairSquare director James Lynch argues that European policies on Gaza have caused possibly irreversible damage to their soft power in the Arab world.

The impact of UK double standards on international humanitarian law

FairSquare’s co-director has made a written submission to the UK’s Foreign Affairs Committee emphasising the damage being done by British failures to stand behind international human rights law and humanitarian law in Gaza and other conflicts involving its allies and partners.

New UK coalition on migrant agricultural worker rights

FairSquare joins Seasonal Worker Interest Group as an associate member.

Today, key civil society organisations and trade unions actively supporting and engaging with migrant seasonal workers in agriculture on the UK’s Seasonal Worker visa are launching a new coalition, the Seasonal Worker Interest Group.

UK Home Office criticised for decision on migrant agriculture worker review

The Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration in the UK has criticised the government’s failure to publish a review of the “seasonal workers route”, the scheme in which multiple media investigations and NGO reports have identified labour exploitation and abuse of migrant workers.

The Home Office’s decision not to publish a promised review of the scheme came in a 20 September letter to NGOs – including FairSquare – and other experts from the UK and countries of migrant workers’ origin, who had originally written to the minister in May calling for stronger controls on recruitment processes and other areas to protect migrant workers.

100+ UK Parliamentarians write to Foreign Office on case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah

A letter signed by more than 100 MPs and members of the House of Lords was today submitted to the UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, to urge fresh approaches on the case of British-Egyptian pro-democracy writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah.

Lack of civic leadership has enabled Manchester and Newcastle sportswashing projects

FairSquare report provides further evidence of the harms of state ownership of football clubs

A new report published today finds that political leaders in Manchester and Newcastle have not only declined multiple opportunities to use their positions of influence to express criticism of serious and systematic human rights abuses in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but have effectively assisted these two deeply abusive and profoundly anti-democratic states’ efforts to set up ‘soft power enclaves’ in cities with proud histories of protest and dissent.

UK’s seasonal agriculture visa scheme exposes migrant workers to serious risk of abuse, say rights experts

Migrant agricultural workers in the UK could face comparable risks to migrant labourers in the Gulf, advocacy groups and experts from the UK, Nepal and Bangladesh warned today.

Call on UEFA to protect competition integrity

Qatari state takeover of Manchester United would strengthen autocrats’ grip on the game

FairSquare has written to UEFA to call on European football’s governing body to outline a clear public position prohibiting a Qatari state takeover of Manchester United.