As the new legislation is set to replace the sponsorship system and make the employment and stay of expatiates here entirely contract-based. Many companies are gearing up for implementation of new law and coercing employees in signing new contracts.

As per the report by US State Department’s there are still apprehensions that despite the new law’s elimination of indefinite contracts, it remains unclear whether employers will pressure employees to sign new five-year contracts (the maximum allowed) before these reforms come into effect; it is possible that these actions could subject workers to unfair labor practices. 

Allegations of employers pressuring employees to sign new five-year contracts before these reforms come into effect remained a significant concern as these actions could subject workers to unfair labor practices, report has added. 

Wishing anonymity employee in a construction company said,” our company has already made us sign new contracts and we don’t know about terms and conditions.”

Many workers are unaware about terms and conditions of new law and signing new contracts before its implementation is absurd , said a manager in a local retail company. 

The Kafala system remains in force in Qatar to monitor expat workers working across the country. The system dictates that every expat worker must be sponsored by a local citizen for all legal and visa purposes, the sponsor is known as Kafeel. Following widespread condemnation of the abuse of the Kafala system by the sponsors, Qatar’s Govt. begun a reform process focussing on protecting worker’s rights and privileges from abusive sponsors. Changes have been welcomed by international organisations and workers as well.

Already Qatar has completed the preparation for the regulations of the law regulating the entry and exit of expatriates and that is bound to come into effect from 13th of December this year. 

Report has also alleged that over 90 percent of the country’s workforce is comprised of men and women from South and Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East who voluntarily come to work as low- and semi-skilled workers, primarily in construction, oil and gas, the service industry, transportation, and domestic work, but some are subjected to forced labor.

The new law abolishes the current two-year ban on expatriates who want to come back to the country on a new visa. Presently it requires a no-objection certificate from the previous employer for a former resident to take up a new job in Qatar.

According to the new law, expatriate workers can change jobs with government permission, either after the expiry of their contracts or after five years of service with their employer in case of open-ended contracts.

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