Qatar Lifts Exit Visa System; Workers Can Now Leave Without Permits
Doha, Qatar : Qatar amended its residency laws on Tuesday to allow foreign workers to leave the country without exit permits from their employers, a provision which labour rights groups have long said should be abolished.
Doha is keen to show it is tackling allegations of worker exploitation as it prepares to host the 2022 soccer World Cup, which it has presented as a showcase of its progress and development.
Most migrant workers would be able to leave the country without having to obtain permits from their employers under the law, said the International Labour Organization in a statement via its Doha office.
The ILO hailed the move as a "significant step" for gas-rich Qatar, which committed last year to introducing sweeping labour reforms, including changes to the exit visa system.
"The ILO welcomes the enactment of Law No. 13, which will have a direct and positive impact on the lives of migrant workers in Qatar," said Houtan Homayounpour, the head of the ILO office in Doha, which was set up in April.
The official Qatar News Agency confirmed the adoption of Law No. 13, saying it amended "certain provisions" of previous laws regulating the entry, exit and residency of expatriates. It did not specify which provisions or offer details on the changes.
Labour and rights groups have attacked Qatar for its "kafala" sponsorship system, which is common in Gulf states where large portions of the population is foreign.
Qatar's system still requires the country's 1.6 million mainly Asian foreign workers to obtain their employers' consent before changing jobs, which the groups say leaves workers open to abuse.
The government's other pledged reforms include introduction of a minimum wage and a grievance procedure for workers.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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MI opt to bowl against RCB as Bumrah, Rohit return
Mumbai, Apr 7 (PTI): Mumbai Indians' lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah returned to competitive cricket after a long injury layoff as his team opted to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL match here on Monday.
Besides Bumrah, Rohit Sharma too came back into the side after missing the previous game, but RCB are playing an unchanged side.
Teams:
Mumbai Indians: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Vignesh Puthur.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (capt), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
🚨 Toss 🚨
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 7, 2025
Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru!
Updates ▶ https://t.co/Arsodkwgqg#TATAIPL | #MIvRCB | @mipaltan | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/hGzZL8JORM
