CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Qatar has effectively dismantled the country’s long-criticised kafala employment system. As per the new labour rules in the energy-rich nation, migrant workers can change jobs before the end of their contracts without obtaining the permission of their current employers.

Detailed explanation-2: -The European Union’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2021 noted Qatar’s labour law reforms had incorporated non-discriminatory minimum wage systems and removal of the Kafala system in 2021.

Detailed explanation-3: -In line with the requirements of the International labour organization (ILO), Qatar officially announced the abolition of the sponsorship system (Kafala) on December 12, 2016.

Detailed explanation-4: -The kafala, or sponsorship, system defines the relationship between foreign workers and their local sponsor, or kafeel, which is usually their employer. It has been used in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries-Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates-as well as Jordan and Lebanon.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Kafala sponsorship was originally adopted in the 1950s, by the Gulf Cooperation Council nations. It aimed to create higher regard for diplomatic relations, to create regulation between employers and migrant workers, as well as to provide a rapid economic boom in these growing nations.