Qatar to abolish controversial exit system for workers

DOHA: Qatar could agree a deal within a fortnight to abolish its controversial exit visa system, which requires workers to obtain their employers’ permission to leave the country, labour experts said Sunday.

The possibility of a landmark deal came as the International Labour Organization opened an office in Doha on Sunday, part of an agreement under which the United Nations agency will oversee wholesale labour reform by the 2022 World Cup host. “We are looking now about the final details of the exit visa, we expect a deal within the next two weeks,” said Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation and a once-vocal critic of Qatar’s labour laws. Other sources with knowledge of negotiations on the issue confirmed a deal was expected to be announced soon. The exit visa system has long been savaged by critics of Qatar’s labour practices as a prime example of the Gulf state’s exploitation of its vast migrant workforce, which numbers some 2 million.