STATE OF QATAR: Partial abolition of ‘exit permit’ lifts travel restrictions for most migrant workers

13 Sep 2018

[International Secretariat]

Region: STATE OF QATAR

Topic:

Law No. 13 of 2018, issued by the Emir of Qatar yesterday, removes the powers of employers to ban the vast majority of migrant workers – those covered by the country’s Labour Law - from leaving the country. However, employers can still request exit permits for up to 5% of their workforce, depending on the nature of their work. Other employees such as domestic workers who fall outside of the Labour Law are not yet covered by the reform.

“Qatar’s partial abolition of the exit permit finally grants hundreds of thousands of workers the right to leave Qatar without their employers’ permission, and is an important first step towards meeting the authorities' promise to fundamentally reform the exploitative sponsorship system,” said Stephen Cockburn, Deputy Director of the Global Issues Programme at Amnesty International.

“However, it is essential that further steps are taken to ensure all migrant workers in Qatar are freed from travel restrictions, including domestic workers. There should be no exceptions to protecting fundamental human rights.” 

According to Qatar's Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics, there are more than 1.9 million migrant workers in the country – about 90% of the country’s total population – mainly from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Bangladesh. Many are working on infrastructure projects linked to Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Domestic workers await new rules

While Law No.13 of 2018 does not cover workers who fall outside of Qatar‘s Labour Law, such as the country’s 174,000 domestic workers, the new law states that the regulations and procedures regarding this category of workers will be outlined in a future ministerial decision.

Amnesty International’s research has previously shown how domestic workers are often made to work long hours without days off, and can face severe restrictions on freedom of movement and even physical and sexual abuse.

It is imperative that Qatar builds on this new law and abolishes the exit permit for all migrant workers,” said Stephen Cockburn.

The exit permit is just one key of Qatar’s notorious ‘kafala’ sponsorship system. Amnesty International’s research has shown how this system has fuelled widespread abuse and exploitation of migrant workers, including forced labour.

Although today most workers no longer need their employers’ permission to leave the country, they still need a ‘non-objection certificate’ from their employer to change jobs in Qatar. Many employers refuse to provide such certificates, and workers are forced to stay until their contracts finish, which can be up to five years.

Workers who leave their jobs without employer permission can be reported for ‘absconding’, attracting a criminal charge that could lead to arrest and deportation.

Some employers also continue to withhold workers’ passports, a long-standing practice.

“Qatar’s World Cup legacy can be the transformation of its labour system from one that drives exploitation to one that provides an example for the region. There remains a huge amount to do, and fully abolishing the exit permit should be one step among many in achieving that,” said Stephen Cockburn.

“Workers’ rights should not be in the hands of their employers.”

Background

The reforms announced yesterday are part of a three-year Technical Cooperation Project agreed with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in October 2017, following labour abuses uncovered by organizations such as Amnesty International. Under the project, Qatar committed to revise its laws in line with international labour standards and ultimately to substantially reform the sponsorship system.

Similar sponsorship systems are in place in other Gulf countries, Jordan and Lebanon, although Saudi Arabia remains the only other country to retain the exit permit.

5 September 2018
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE