Qatar introduces labour reforms ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup, reports Healy Consultants

SINGAPORE - Dec. 18, 2016 - PRLog -- The Government of Qatar this Monday announced the abandonment of the 'kafala' sponsorship system under the new labour reforms promulgated ahead of the 2022 FIFA world cup.

The 'kafala' system that required foreign individuals looking to work in Qatar to seek local sponsorship from a Qatari permanent resident and ask for their permission whenever they needed to change jobs or leave the country will now be replaced by a contract-based system claimed to safeguard workers' indemnity.'

Qatar's labour minister Issa bin Saad Al-Jafali Al-Nuaimi stated on Monday December 12, the highly criticized kafala system would be abandoned the following day December 13.

"The new law is the latest step towards improving and protecting the rights of every expatriate worker in Qatar," said Al-Jafali.

"It replaces the kafala system with a modernized, contact-based system that safeguards workers' rights and increases job flexibility," he added.

The new system will give expats the freedom to change jobs without seeking approval from their current employers and also to be able to leave the country on emergencies or leave after giving formal notification to their employer.

"Freedom of movement is guaranteed under the new rules and any workers mistreated will automatically be allowed to change jobs," said the Qatari officials.

However, Amnesty International has stated that the new labour reforms would "barely scratch the surface of an abusive system". The human rights organization called on the Qatari Government to ban passport confiscation and abolish in totality the exit permits.

Healy Consultants Group PLC is a professional corporate services provider headquartered in Singapore and with a presence in Qatar since 2003. The company helps global entrepreneurs looking to establish their international businesses in different sectors of the economy with, among others, company registration, tax and vat registration, assistance with obtaining business licenses and official business addresses, opening a corporate and merchant bank account and obtaining work or residence visas.