Qatar amended its residency laws on Tuesday to allow most foreign workers to leave the country without exit permits from their employers.
Doha is keen to show it is tackling allegations of worker exploitation as it prepares to host the 2022 soccer World Cup, which it has presented as a showcase of its progress and development.
The new law allows most workers to leave the country without exit permits from their employers, Qatar said in a statement quoting Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Issa al-Nuaimi.
Employers will still be allowed to require up to 5% of their workforce to request permission to leave, after submitting their names to the government “with justifications based on the nature of the work”, the statement said.
Employers’ consent
Qatar’s system still requires the 1.6 million mainly Asian foreign workers to obtain their employers’ consent before changing jobs, which rights groups say leaves workers open to abuse.
The government’s other pledged reforms include introduction of a minimum wage and a grievance procedure for workers.