Qatar abolishes ‘kafala’ system
Qatar has scrapped dreaded ‘kafala’ system reforming its nearly seventy-year old labour law.
Under the kafala, a foreign labourer in Qatar could not change his employer without no-objection certificate (NOC) from the existing authorities. From now on, foreign workers in the country will have freedom in changing their employers once their probation period is over, says a press statement from International Labour Organization (ILO).
The labour system was introduced in Qatar in 1950. The law is prevalent in gulf and other Arabian countries. Qatar is the first nation in the region to abolish kafala system. On 12 December 2016, the Qatar authorities announced that the gulf country would reform its labour law amid widespread criticism by the rights activists.
The ILO press statement said, “On 16 October 2019, the Council of Ministers of the State of Qatar unanimously endorsed new legislation allowing workers to change employers freely. Workers in Qatar had previously required a no-objection certificate (NOC) from their employers in order to do so. A ministerial decree by the interior minister was also signed, removing exit permit requirements for all workers, except military personnel. Together, these steps mark the end of kafala in the country.”
The new laws are scheduled to come into force by January 2020 as the draft laws were referred to the advisory council of the country.
In the statement, ILO director general Guy Ryder said, “These steps will greatly support the rights of migrant workers, while contributing to a more efficient and productive economy. …the ongoing ILO technical cooperation programme in Qatar is tangibly contributing to the government’s effort to advance social justice and promote decent work in the country.”
ILO country director in Bangladesh Tuomo Poutiainen said, “As high as 75 per cent of the 400,000 Bangladesh labourers in Qatar are employed in construction sector. They would be direct beneficiary of this reform. Through this, labour rights will be championed.”