Qatar: Renaming Kafala is not Ending Kafala
January 14, 2016
Here’s why the changes have little impact on workers’ rights
Qatar
Latest articles
Qatar and FIFA default on promised reforms
December 5, 2015
Qatar: No country for migrant men
October 6, 2015
TIP report sheds some light on why majority of Indian complaints come from the GCC
August 25, 2015
Construction workers in the UAE (Image credit: Flickr)
Qatar 'labor camp' fire exposes more frailties of kafala and the labor law
June 28, 2015
The 452 workers who lost every last scrap of their belongings in a fire in Qatar on Friday morning still have their passports in tact. Because the passports have been in the possession of their employer since they started work, MRRORS.org learned while speaking to the victims.
Qatar’s Shura Council resists reforms. A timeline of recommendations and unfulfilled promises.
June 24, 2015
Some proposals akin to forced labor
Latest In Brief
February 16, 2025
Qatar’s Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund: Tall Claims and Not Enough Data
The executive director of Qatar’s Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund (WSIF), Kholoud Saif Abdullah Al Kubaisi, recently stated that “over 130,000 workers have benefitted from the fund since its establishment, including its significant contribution to protecting their rights and ensuring that they receive their financial dues.” Though Al Kubaisi spoke of the fund’s transparency and its role alongside wider reforms in “reducing labour disputes and complaints,” there are still several issues that remain unaddressed.
February 14, 2025
Qatar Launches Amnesty for Migrants with Irregular Immigration Status
Qatar has launched a three-month amnesty period starting from 9 February 2025, allowing foreign residents with irregular immigration status to exit the country without penalties. It is not clear if residents would be able to regularise their status. Workers can exit the country through Hamad International Airport, or alternatively, they can visit the Search and Follow-up Department on Salwa Road to complete departure procedures within the specified period.
June 26, 2024
Qatar’s Shura Council has suggested reintroducing exit permits for domestic workers,
Qatar’s Shura Council has suggested reintroducing exit permits for domestic workers, though it has rephrased the practice as ‘obtaining employer approval’ at least five days before departure.
September 13, 2022
Rejection of job change requests on the rise in Qatar
The number of requests for job changes and rejections are on the rise in Qatar. Moreover, the rejections of new recruitment requests have also increased drastically in the last several months, likely in an effort to reduce the number of migrant workers in the country ahead of the World Cup.
June 28, 2022
Qatar: Compulsory health insurance system introduced
Qatar's new compulsory private health insurance system for all non-citizen residents, including visitors and those employed in the public and private sectors, is being rolled out in phases. The full text of the law's executive regulations have not yet been made public.