Qatar has lots of exciting opportunities to offer. Every year many foreigners visit this beautiful country for various job opportunities. To get a better understanding of rules and regulations, the National Human Rights Committee has provided a comprehensive list of information for workers. Here is the list of relevant department information and answers to frequently asked questions.

Q1: Where should you go in case of dispute with your employer?

1. Labor Department (Ministry of Labor):

• The specialty body in all cases of disputes concerning due money payments, dwelling conditions, or any other violation of labor law.

• Labor department will peacefully settle disputes, or transfer the worker file to the court if required.

• Requests for family visas presented to the immigration permanent committee at the ministry of labor.

• Help from the NHRC can be asked for when there are complications in the said requests.

2. The Court: 

• You can resort to a court of law for redressal of grievances and file a suit about any matter and the court has jurisdiction to deal with any matter related to your wages either before or after the end of your contract, and as soon as a disagreement arises with your employer.

• For example: You can file a suit to claim delayed wages, end of service benefits, holidays payments, overtime dues...etc

3. The National Human Rights Committee

• The committee provides free legal advice, helps you understand your legal rights in general, and may provide a lawyer to represent you if it finds it necessary.

• The committee looks into complaints in most cases of disagreements arising between the sponsor and the sponsored and tries to work out a peaceful resolution to the satisfaction of the two parties.

• In case an attempt at a peaceful resolution fails and the committee is convinced of your rightful claim, it will correspond with authorities concerned on your behalf and seek their intervention to help you.

• The committee monitors the violations and breach of workers’ rights, especially what is termed “Trafficking in human beings”. It strives to correct the legal status for worker’s illegal stay by presenting his case to the specialized body in interior ministry.

• The committee corresponds with the specialty department in interior ministry to reconsider the administrative deportations decisions, if it proved necessary.

4. Human Rights Department in the Ministry of Interior.

• The department receives complaints and reports all matters related to the Ministry of Interior such as requests for sponsor transfer, review petition against deportation order ...etc

• After looking into your case and assessing your humanitarian condition, the department will follow your case through the proper department and inform you of your legal status and what procedures you must follow to get your rights.

5. The National Bureau for Prevention of Human Trafficking

• The bureau monitors violations and breaches made by some companies, employment bureaus and fictitious companies operating either in Qatar or outside in bringing workers into the country which may involve cases of abuse such as forced labor, sexual abuse...etc

• (Qatar House for accommodation and human care – which follows the bureau) – provides care and protection to women and children who fall victim to human trafficking and help those who wish to go back to their home countries and provide temporary shelter and medical and psychological care to them.

Q2: Is it possible to leave Qatar and authorize someone to follow your lawsuit in a court? 

It is possible to leave Qatar after authorizing anybody to follow your lawsuit after making the authorization document and getting it authenticated by court

Q3: When are you prohibited from leaving Qatar?

You will be prohibited to leave the country if you are accused of a crime (issuing fraudulent cheques, breach of trust...etc) and prosecution or court decides to prohibit you from leaving the country on the basis of that case.

If there is a civil lawsuit against you (such as claims for non-payment of debt like bank loans) and a ruling is issued – at the request of the claimant – prohibiting you from travel, unless an order of deportation is issued in public interest .It is possible to seek waiver of the travel ban in a civil lawsuit against you if you deposit the amount of debt or present enough guarantee.

Q4: Does Qatari law prosecute those involved in trafficking in visas for bringing workers to Qatar?

Every person who forces work on a human being either for wages or without is punished by imprisonment for six months, and a fine of not more than QR3000 or one of these two penalties. The confinement punishment will not exceed three years, if the victim is less than sixteen years old. You can refer to NHRC or directly to the police department or to the attorney general if you face forced labor. 

 The National Human Rights Committee hopes that the booklet will fulfill a felt need for workers to be aware of, and help them understand Qatar’s basic laws so as to get full protection under the laws of the land. 

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