Qatar promises reform of labour system likened to slavery

DOHA — Qatar has said it will push ahead with reforming its controversial "kafala" labour system, which critics have likened to modern-day slavery, without giving a timetable for when this will happen.

Abdullah Saleh Mubarak Al Khulaifi, the minister of labour and social affairs, was quoted by local daily The Peninsula as saying there would be no going back on a promise to change the law.

Under kafala, employers can prevent foreign workers from changing jobs or leaving the country. Long criticised by rights groups, it the system has become a focus of criticism since Qatar was awarded the 2022 football World Cup.

Doha has said it will replace the system with one based instead on employment contracts.

"Qatar has fulfilled all its legal obligations in the past and will do so in the future as well," Khulaifi said.

Khulaifi, who was speaking at a foreign ministry event Monday, said the term "sponsorship" would also be abolished under the new legislation.

But it was unclear when that might happen.

The official Qatar News Agency, referring to the reform, quoted the minister as saying it is not possible to give a certain date.

"However, he added that Qatar is committed to introducing legal changes."

Previously it had been predicted that the change would come by early this year.

The statement came just a day after FIFA President Sepp Blatter visited the country and insisted that Qatar should do more on the vexed issue of labour rights.

Blatter held talks with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Sunday, ahead of a FIFA executive committee meeting on Thursday and Friday that will decide the final dates for the 2022 World Cup.

The tournament is widely expected to be the first held in November and December because of Qatar's scalding summer temperatures.

Recent reforms announced include the introduction of an electronic payment system for thousands of migrant labourers. Under that, workers will be paid at least once a month and, in some cases, every fortnight, though it is not yet clear when this reform will be introduced either.

New projects at providing better accommodation for up to one million migrant workers have also just been announced.

Doha expects to more than double the number of labourers to 2.5 million by 2020, ahead of hosting football's biggest event.

Amnesty International's Gulf migrant rights researcher, Mustafa Qadri, said the announcement was "yet again a promise of much-needed reform... but little beyond promises".

"Qatar has an unprecedented opportunity to be a regional leader when it comes to migrant labour rights reforms," said Qadri.

"Welcome statements must be backed up by real, implemented reforms that lead to genuine improvements in labour rights protections, not just tinkering at the edges of a broken system."