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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Rickelton's ton in vain as SRH beat MI by 6 wickets
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
