Qatar abolishes Kafala system

MANILA, Philippines — Overseas Filipino workers displaced by the coronavirus pandemic in Qatar can now easily look for new employment, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported on Wednesday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said the government of Qatar has abolished the Kafala system, which prevents Filipinos and other foreign workers from seeking jobs in the Arab state.

Kafala is a system used to monitor migrant laborers, especially those working in the construction and domestic sectors in Gulf Cooperation Council member states and the neighboring countries of Bahrain and Kuwait.

“We thank the state of Qatar for the significant reform in their employment laws. This is a big step to improve the working conditions of migrant workers,” Bello said.

He said the Qatari government amended some provisions in its labor laws, which allowed foreign workers to change jobs before the end of their contract.

There are around 241,000 OFWs in Qatar, which is the fourth largest destination of land-based Filipino workers in the Middle East.