Qatar defends its labour reforms

Qatar defended its labour law reforms yesterday after coming under attack from a human rights group that said the changes will not end the abuse and exploitation faced by migrant workers in the country and may even make it worse.

The Qatari government said a new law coming into effect today will replace the controversial “kafala” or sponsorship system that forces foreign workers to seek their employer’s consent to change jobs or leave the country.

Rights groups had previously criticised the kafala system, saying that it has forced workers to live in squalor and toil under dangerous, sometimes fatal, conditions which amount to modern-day slavery.

However, an Amnesty International report said the reforms will not lead to significant changes on the ground and workers will continue to need their employer’s permission to change jobs and require exit permits to leave the oil-rich Gulf state. According to Amnesty, abusive employers can also withhold workers’ passports under a new loophole – something that was not allowed under the previous laws.