HU statement on Qatar ending exit permit for most workers

HU welcomes the adoption of Qatar’s Law No. 13 of 2018, which will allow most migrant workers to exit Qatar without the permission of their employers.

Last year’s technical cooperation agreement between the ILO and Qatar provided a clear path forward to reforms. Law No. 13 demonstrates the Qatari government is working to address one of the key problems identified by the ILO and other stakeholders. Full implementation of this new law is essential to ensure meaningful change.

While Law No. 13 represents a major step forward, there are still important measures left to take. Law No. 13 does not cover all migrant workers and, importantly, it does not cover domestic workers. However, for the majority of Qatar’s 2.2 million migrant workers, this law is likely to have a significant impact.

Humanity United applauds this new law and calls on the Government of Qatar to continue making progress to ensure the ILO technical cooperation agreement is fully implemented and workers who are not covered by the labor law have their rights upheld.