01/09/2020
Qatar: New laws to protect migrant workers are a step in the right direction | Amnesty International
NEWS
QATAR MIGRANTS
SHARE
Qatar: New laws to protect migrant workers are a step in the
right direction
30 August 2020, 15:29 UTC
The Qatari authorities have taken a significant step towards protecting migrant workers by passing two laws
which could strike at the heart of the abusive kafala system, but full implementation remains key if the
country aims to truly end labour exploitation, Amnesty International said.
The Emir of Qatar today abolished restrictions on migrant workers changing jobs without their employer’s
permission and introduced a monthly minimum wage of 1,000 Qatari riyal, plus basic living allowances for
some workers.
“ For too long, laws that ban workers from changing jobs without their
employer’s permission, along with widespread low pay, have left migrant
workers in Qatar at the mercy of abusive employers. We welcome the
enactment of these laws, and now call on the Qatari authorities to ensure
they are swiftly and properly implemented. ”
Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/08/qatar-annoucement-kafala-reforms/
1/3