In apparent response to continued criticism from various human rights organizations over poor working conditions for migrant workers from other countries including Nepal, the Gulf state of Qatar has reiterated its committment to scrapping its kafala or sponsorship system and the provision on exit permits.

Rights organizations maintain that the kafala system has made migrant workers in the oil-rich state highly vulnerable to exploitation as many employers take away their passports and abuse them with little risk of legal consequences.

Also, the mandatory provision requiring an exit permit for leaving the country, which the employer has to facilitate, puts the migrant worker additionally at risk of exploitation.

According to a statement made available by Qatar's embassy in Kathmandu, Qatari Minister for Labor and Social Welfare Abdulla Saleh Mubarak Al Khulaifi has announced that the term 'sponsorship' will be replaced in new legislation and the new system will be based entirely on the job contract that workers sign with their employers. "Although full consensus was not there in the draft sponsorship law, Qatar will nevertheless go ahead and implement it because it is in the interest of the country, the workers and everyone else," he said.

Addressing a function organized by the Diplomatic Institute of the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, Khulaifi said measures to introduce the new system are being taken and the new legislation is being finalized by the Ministry of Interior. "There is absolutely no question of the sponsorship law not being changed, but right now a definite timeframe cannot be given," he said.

The sponsorship system, which is popularly known as kafala, is used to monitor migrant workers in various Gulf countries including Qatar. The system requires all unskilled laborers to have an in-country sponsor, usually their employer, who is responsible for their visa and legal status.

Likewise, an exit permit, which is to be facilitated by the employer, is a must for migrant workers for leaving the country.

However, while experts in Nepal have lauded the Qatar government's announcement, they are skeptical whether Qatar will actually implement it any time soon. "The Qatar government has been saying this for long, especially after the horrible working conditions of Nepali migrant workers were exposed in international media. The announcement has to be translated into action. I am skeptical that Qatar will actually implement it," said Ganesh Man Gurung, who holds a PhD in migrant labor.

Some 200 private companies in Qatar were banned for breaching labor law provisions and another 14 manpower agencies blacklisted for breach of recruitment regulations.

Minister Khulaifi also said some 55 manpower agencies in Nepal have been banned with the help of Nepal's embassy in Qatar for violating recruitment regulations. "Our ministry's inspection department conducted 51,000 raids on companies to check their compliance with labor law and 200 firms were banned," he said.

According to the Labor Ministry of Qatar, some 9,600 labor complaints were received during 2014. Of these, 6,800 were resolved amicably and 800 forwarded to the courts. "We are committed to improving the labor situation in the country since we are the host of the 2022 FIFA event," the minister said.

Published on: 27 March 2015 | The Kathmandu Post