Qatar Reforms: Big Advantage For Indian Migrant Workers

Among the middle-east countries, Qatar is the richest nation but the country heavily depends on migrant workers. From India, lakhs of people fled to Qatar in search of job and earn in riyals. But Qatar’s labour laws are quite complex and in the past many Indian workers have struggled to switch their employer or return to India.

But things are going to change sooner as Qatar is making many reforms in labour laws and this could definitely Indian migrant workers. Among the major reforms is a 25 per cent increase in the minimum wage to 1,000 riyals (around Rs 19,556), a mandatory stipend to cover the food and accommodation of workers. Qatar also ended the complicated ‘Kafala’ system that required migrant workers to take NOC from employers before switching jobs.

Qatar is hosting the 2022 football world cup and it is constructing stadiums, simultaneously developing the infrastructure. These changes came after Qatar was on the receiving end of making migrant labour work under extreme conditions.

The Indian Embassy in Doha has hailed Qatar for bringing these new reforms and added that “We welcome and appreciate significant labour reform measures announced by the Government of Qatar, including to raise the minimum wage and easing the lateral movement of immigrant workers.”