'2022 WC hosts' Qatar's proposed labour law reforms fail to ease international concerns

A slew of proposed reforms for labour laws unveiled by Qatar after global criticism of working conditions in the preparations for the FIFA World Cup in 2022 have reportedly failed to damp some concerns over conditions for Qatar's 1.39 million migrant workers.

The government said it would 'abolish' the controversial sponsorship system, kafala, which is blamed for granting employers excessive control over their staff, adding that exit permits - formerly approved by employers - would be granted automatically by the interior ministry, with a 72-hour grace period for employers to object.

However, Gulf News reports that right groups said the proposed changes did not constitute an abolishment of kafala, even though they are a significant improvement on the current system, and added that they called for the immediate end to exit permits, which limit the movement of most expatriates in the country.

The report mentioned that the proposed changes were made after a government-commissioned report into Qatar's labour system by Anglo-US law firm DLA Piper.

The report, which recommended that the exit visa be phased out 'over time', said the only justifiable reason for denying an exit permit should be criminality or national security.

The report also suggested a series of pragmatic measures to protect workers, such as the introduction of a 'model contract' for labourers, blacklisting agents who charge recruitment fees, electronic payment of wages and introduction of variable minimum wage linked to skills sets.