Human Rights Watch
Global human rights NGO; tracked FIFA host cities' human rights plans and documented Cuban deportee conditions.
Last refreshed: 12 June 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics
Which host cities failed to publish human rights plans before the 2026 World Cup?
Timeline for Human Rights Watch
Mentioned in: Elyanna to sing at Canada's opening
2026 FIFA World CupMentioned in: A record prisoner count, and a death
Cuba DispatchMentioned in: Teachers and the missing take the Zocalo
2026 FIFA World CupMentioned in: Iraq striker held seven hours at O'Hare
2026 FIFA World CupWhat did Human Rights Watch say about the 2026 World Cup host cities?
What is Human Rights Watch?
Which 2026 World Cup host cities have no human rights plan?
Background
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an independent, New York-based international human rights organisation founded in 1978 as Helsinki Watch. It employs approximately 500 researchers, lawyers, and advocates across more than 90 countries, and produces investigative reporting and policy advocacy on rights violations worldwide. HRW is a recognized participant at the UN Human Rights Council and has ICC observer status. It does not accept government funding. It has been a persistent critic of FIFA governance across successive World Cup host-country selections.
HRW issued a formal review of all 16 US host cities' human rights action plans and set an 11 May 2026 Deadline (one month before the tournament) for cities to publish. By that Deadline, only four had done so: Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Vancouver. The remaining twelve were silent. FIFA offered an escape hatch: cities could claim plans had been 'submitted to FIFA' without public release, allowing non-compliance while technically meeting the submission requirement. HRW rejected this framing, noting FIFA's own Host City Agreements required public publication.
HRW's campaign is part of a civil society Coalition alongside Football Supporters Europe, Sport & Rights Alliance, and Euroconsumers. Its World Cup engagement dates to Russia 2018 (LGBTQ+ rights), Qatar 2022 (migrant worker deaths), and the Saudi 2034 bid (human rights concerns).
HRW published 'Casting Us Aside to Die' on 27 May 2026, documenting Cuban deportees from the United States being transferred to Mexico rather than repatriated to Cuba, leaving many individuals effectively stateless in transit and unable to reach either country. The report documented the US removal pipeline diverted Cuban nationals into Mexican territory: a departure from direct repatriation that raised obligations under international refugee law.
