BWI welcomes the landmark achievements in Qatar that were signed into law on 30 August 2020; introducing a minimum wage for migrant workers and allowing them to change jobs without requiring their employers’ permission to do so. The minimum wage represents up to 25 percent salary increase for some workers, set at QR 1,000 (USD 275) a month, when food and accommodation is provided. The laws will end the system where a migrant worker had to secure a  no objection certificate (NOC) from his or her current employer before changing jobs, which was a significant worker right infringement, limiting the options and choices available to migrant workers and putting them at greater risk of exploitation...The changes follow earlier improvements in labour law in Qatar. However, there has often been a delay between legal changes and implementation on the ground. 

BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson stated, “We have been part of a collective effort that has resulted in these reforms, through campaigning and through engagement with the Qatari State, migrant communities, workers representatives and other stakeholders. We have sought to turn successive legislative changes into real gains for workers and look forward to a sustained partnership with Qatar’s government institutions to ensure that the latest legal measures translate into tangible progress for migrant workers.”