Qatar to scrap controversial exit system for workers: experts
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... The possibility of a landmark deal came as the International Labour Organization (ILO) opened an office in Doha, 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... 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 two million... Human rights group Amnesty International said in a statement Sunday that Qatar should introduce "a timetable for meaningful" reform. Qatar should "urgently publish a robust and effective plan of action to remove the excessive restrictions that enable employers to trap migrant workers in exploitative situations", it said.