More than thirty thousand tickets have been sold to England fans
for FIFA World Cup matches in Russia between 14 June and 15 July.
But ticket applications by England fans for the 2018 World Cup
are substantially lower than the previous tournament, noted by
MP, the Foreign Secretary,
when he appeared in front of the Committee in March.
Tensions resulting from the attack on the Skripals in Salisbury;
clashes between English and Russian football fans during the 2016
European Championships in Marseilles; and a disappointing team
performance across World Cup events, are being blamed for fans’
reluctance to travel. The UK’s diplomatic presence in Russia has
also been reduced, which may impact the consular support
available to British football fans.
Whatever the reason, Mr Johnson challenged the Russian
authorities to ensure that England fans would be ‘well-treated
and safe in Russia’.
Today, the Foreign Affairs Committee launches an inquiry into the
FCO’s preparations for the World Cup.
Chair of the Committee, MP, said:
“We want England fans, and those supporting other teams, to
be able to travel safely in Russia and enjoy
themselves. But the increasing tension and pattern of violence is
causing concern.
“The Foreign Office website is already
warning travellers to ‘be aware of the possibility of
anti-British sentiment or harassment’ – due to ‘heightened
political tensions’ between the UK and Russia.
“In March, the Foreign Secretary gave us some insight into the
discussions taking place in advance. We know the UK is no longer
sending high level political representation. We also know that
Russia has expelled 23 UK diplomats – reducing the
consular support British football fans could have
relied on.
“Russia must look after all fans travelling to the 2018
World Cup – not just because it is in the FIFA contract. But
we hope our inquiry will provide some reassurance to travelling
fans from the UK that the Foreign Office is taking the
right precautions too. We want the Foreign
Office to look after the politics of
this situation and let the fans enjoy the games.”
The Committee would welcome written submissions that address the
following issues:
- The
risks faced by UK nationals travelling to Russia during the World
Cup:
- The risk of violence by football hooligans;
- The particular risks faced by LGBT and ethnic minority football
fans;
- How these risks have been affected by the Salisbury incident
and subsequent heightened tensions.
-
Measures taken to address these risks by the British and Russian
governments, including police cooperation:
- The adequacy of these measures, and what, if any, further steps
should be taken to ensure the security of UK nationals;
- How these measures have been adjusted following the Salisbury
incident;
- The FCO’s role in coordinating preparations across government,
and the resources and staff numbers dedicated to this;
- The objectives of the “Be on the Ball” public information
campaign, and the metrics the FCO will use to evaluate its
success.
-
Lessons learned from previous international sporting events,
including the 2016 European Championships in France, and the 2014
Winter Olympics in Russia.
- How
the expulsion of British diplomats has affected the FCO’s
preparations for the World Cup.
Written submissions should be received by
the Committee no later than 12 May 2018. Further details of how
to submit evidence using the web portal are available from the
inquiry page on the Committee’s web
pages.
