Euro 2024 Tarnished by Sponsors’ Alleged Ties to Uyghur Forced Labor

The beautiful game faces a growing ethical controversy as human rights activists slam UEFA, the governing body of European football, for partnering with Chinese sponsors accused of profiting from Uyghur forced labor, RFA reported in an article yesterday.

According to an article published on June 26 by Radio Free Asia, human rights activists are criticizing UEFA, the governing body of European football, for accepting sponsorships from Chinese companies with reported links to Uyghur forced labor.

These sponsors, including tech giant Alibaba and electric car manufacturer BYD, have advertisements displayed prominently throughout the Euro 2024 tournament currently underway in Germany.

“The lure of Chinese money has been too strong,” said Luke de Pulford, Executive Director of Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.  “Many of those companies are embroiled in forced labor and have major issues in their supply chains.”

Reports by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) allege that both Hisense and BYD use parts produced by Uyghurs under conditions suggesting forced labor.  Additionally, Alibaba’s cloud services reportedly offer facial recognition technology specifically designed to identify Uyghurs.

While UEFA maintains a commitment to human rights and ethical conduct for the tournament, they haven’t commented specifically on the allegations against their Chinese sponsors.  Activists are calling for increased pressure on both corporations and governments to address the issue of Uyghur forced labor.

Earlier this year, the European Parliament had overwhelmingly approved a new law that prevents the import and distribution of goods made with forced labor.

Since 2017, China has imprisoned an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs in “re-education camps,” where they receive training in various skills and are forced to work in factories making everything from chemicals and clothing to car parts.