Plan to abolish sponsorship system in Qatar

The Qatari government has announced several changes to its labour system amid international criticism of its treatment of foreign workers, according to Al Jazeera.

At a press conference in Doha on May, 14, 2014, Qatar's Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Labour released plans to ease restrictions on foreign workers' terms of employment.

The proposals include abolishing the country's ‘sponsor’ system, under which workers are bound to a single employer for the duration of their residence, giving expatriates greater latitude to change jobs and leave the country.

Qatar's exit permit system, in which workers are currently required to obtain their employers' consent before being allowed to leave the country, "will now be replaced with an automated system through the Ministry of Interior," said a press release from the conference.

However, no deadline was set for implementing the proposals. The proposals to change the labour system must first be evaluated by the Shura Council, Qatar's legislative branch, before being ratified. Other proposed reforms would require employers to pay wages electronically to improve transparency and timely payments, and would increase the penalty for confiscating workers' passports from 10,000 riyals to 50,000 riyals.