After coming under fire, Qatar vows to offer foreign workers a better deal
After facing mounting international criticism, Doha says employment terms will be reformed
Qatar, which will host the 2022 soccer World Cup, said yesterday it would abolish its controversial sponsorship system for foreign workers as international criticism mounts over their treatment.
It "will be replaced with a system based on employment contracts", as part of a package of labour reforms, the government said in a statement.
Sponsorship systems for foreign workers exist in most Gulf countries, which employ millions of foreigners, especially from Asia. The system has been strongly criticised by human rights groups and likened to modern-day slavery.
The Qatari reforms will also end the longstanding requirement that foreign workers obtain their employer's consent before leaving the country.
"The current exit permit system, which requires the employers' consent for an employee to leave the country, will now be replaced with an automated system through the ministry of interior," the statement said.
The new system will automatically grant an exit permit to an employee "after a 72-hour grace period prior to departure", the statement said.