Questionning The Legacy of the Sponsorship System
By chmarkh1981 •
HI EVERYBODY IS IT TRUE THAT UNDER THE KAFALA OR SPONSORSHIP SYSTEM APPLIED IN QATAR THE HIRING COMPANY MAY KEEP HOLD OF MY PASSPORT DURING THE PERIOD OF MY CONTRACT.
I FIND IT ILLEGAL I WORKED IN FRANCE AND GERMANY BEFORE AND I HAD NEVER HEARD ABOUT SUCH A MEASURE THAT VIOLATES HUMAN AND LABOR RIGHTS.
I AM SURE THAT LOCAL COMPANIES DON T HAVE THE COURAGE TO APPLY THIS SYSTEM ON WESTERN PEOPLE WHO WORK IN PRESTIGIOUS POSITIONS IN QATAR.
THIS LAW IS REALLY UNDERESTIMATING,DISCRIMINATIVE AND ABUSIVE.IT IS A CENSORSHIP NOT A SPONSORSHIP.
Keeping passport with the employer is legally not right, but many employers like to do that with their employees esp labour class ones, because passport is a valuable document and if someone loses it, it a real mess, most of the labour camps and all those bachelor accomodations don't have a good security system, so it is advisable for the people who are staying in those camps and bachelor accommodation to leave it with the company. Further more, the rule is Qatar wont permit you to leave the country without exit permits so even if you have your passport you wont be able fly out of the country with out employer's consent.
YES, IT IS ILLEGAL. IN HUMAN
BUT I WISH TO REMIND YOU THE "OTHER SIDE" OF THE STORY
BYTHE WAY, I AM NOT AN ENTERPREUNER, NOR RUNNING BUSINESS
PLS READ MY BELOW COMMENT POSTER EARLIER
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I am an expat and I fully agree with the view that it is undemocratic and violating ones human rights.
but pls think the other side,,,, what about the employee leaves the country committing a crime... there are cases guys leaving the country taking loan of 300,000 QR.... there are cases guys leaving after cheating sponsor company and siphoning money to his own account in home country.
Of course, I am not supporting one holds the passport of employee. But we should also worry whether we are violating the "human rights " of the sponsor too
Answered on Fri, 27/02/2009 - 10:05am
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To tell you honestly witholding an employees passport is ILLEGAL here in Qatar under the labour laws, but still there are some companies who used to do such practices here like before. but if you insist maybe they will allow you to keep your most valued document with you. Passport is very important because this will serves as your identity ID wherever you are in any parts of the world.
this "sponsorship system" is because the managers and owners here are incompetent to perform their task of MANAGING (running a business and keeping their staff).
this combined with their ego results in small-man complex.
so to make sure their ego is intact and their business doenst fail, they use their positions to make the government do their jobs for them by imposing these laws.
once these guys get business lessons, they can run their businesses like managers in the west do without resorting to violating human rights. managers (real managers) there are perfectly capable of keeping their business running without enslaving their employees.
ironically, the small-man complex has another result. by trying to show off on who is the biggest all the time, they are not able to establish authority in the region. for example, none of the GCC states want to give the lead to any another. then they each have their own laws, currency, and luckily "sponsor system".
so while their small-man complex locks us in one employer for one country, it also gives us a back door by allowing us to leave one GCC country and take a job in another at will.
i suspect people like hasan shaikh has small-man complex. they are usually identifiable by their "if you dont like it here, then go back to your country" remarks.
qatar is a great place, and everyone here knows why they are here. so shouting the obvious proves they have small-man complex
Ignore Hasan Shaikh. It is illegal in Qatar under Qatari law. However, by TRADITION, it is what companies do. If you refuse there is nothing that they can do. If they already have your passport, demand it back. They may not keep it without your consent. Many companies will claim it is for "safekeeping".
In reality, many of the lower-level management are themselves ignorant of Qatari law and are just parroting what they have been told, but the fact is, that your sponsor MAY NOT keep your passport without your consent. If they insist, they are not an employer you want to work for anyway. Report them to the labour bureau and the labour bureau will undertake an education program for the sponsor. If they re-offend, they will be fined.
If Hasan Shaikh is Qatari it is a shame that he is ignorant if QATARI law, if he is not Qatari, it is a shame that he doesn't understand the laws of the country where he has chosen to live as a guest.
It is illegal for companies in Qatar to hold your passport.
But of course everyone does it cos no-one bothers to check and employees are too scared to report it.
Didn't you ask the same question calling it "KAFALA SYSTEM"?
Good. So you should go back to France or Germany. Don't work here in Qatar. No one is forcing you to work here.