Citizens want sponsorship law tightened

I don't support a lot of our foreign policy but the only problem I have with the way visas are handled is that restrictions are not tight enough.

But yes, I agree with you: our Colonial past brought us to our huge problem today. If only we had had foresight and could have avoided it.

your country took half the world and still occupying many countries so you shouldn't have any problem if a few came to your country as well. What your country is trying to do now with foreign policy and visa issues is again violation of human rights.

if your country was taken up by foreigners ?"

It's happened in my country and I wish we had had the foresight to ward it off. I don't blame Qataris at all for wanting their government to look out for what they consider their best interests. The only question I have is what will happen to the great aspirations that cannot be fulfilled on the backs of Qataris?

They want their country to give them an advantage and carte blanche to make money (through controlling the employment of expats). I would expect as much.

What I find more interesting is this issue of the the Emir and his administration empowering people to speak their mind more, and maybe not being happy with what they actually say and want. Should be interesting to see what happens then. Can the Qatari population be appeased to give up their desires for their country by just having more money thrown at them? It has worked in the past and should be interesting to see if it will continue to.

I doubt that'll come in until after 2022.....all the lackys are needed to host the competition aren't they??

The foreign workers are currently working in such positions nowhere related to their studies or they do great if they get the right job and right salary. This will boost the productivity and increase profit.

Foreign workers and labourers are out here because this countries need them and they are certainly not here on holidays. Treat them fairly and with respect or there might come a day when they never want to come by to this places. While the world and the neighbouring countries move forward and have worker friendly policies and practices a few countries or country cannot choose to go the other way.

look here chief, its bad or worse, bada-bing bada-bong..... they got the formula, and hey it makes most of them happy...... to H** with what the other world and expats think and what shud be done or not done......

like i said no surprises......

As appalling as the opinions expressed in the survey are, I have to admit that most other cultures who suddenly found themselves to be a minority within their own country would probably make similar remarks. Yes it is based largely on ignorance; yes Qataris depend desperately on foreign labor at all levels; and no I am not making excuses for them. But I suspect we have all heard similar complaints in our own countries when it comes to immigration--although in the more PC West, such views are more privately expressed.

I am more concerned about what Genesis wrote about the polling sample--young people in university. This does not bode well for the future of Qatar, as the number of foreigners well skyrocket over the next decade--worsening all of the problems about which the surveyed complain.

The survey was done on students in a Qatar University....in a few years or more these so called students will be part of the decision making process. I thought a major part of getting an education was to broaden the mind...instill ideas which expand the horizon....take risks. Unfortunately here it seems to push people back into a protective shell.

It's kind of funny and looks like most of the respondents aren't in touch with reality.

that's all abt it

The "tighter" they expect it to get the more "screwed" we all are.

The Verdict:

Citizens want sponsorship law tightened .

The expats want sponsorship law loosened .

i would do exactly the same!!! i am not gonna beat around the bush..... if my country had the conservative and traditional setup of the society of Qatar, then yeah whatever means necessary.....

but heres the thing, its not about whats right and whats wrong.....it NEVER IS ABOUT THAT.....its about who you are....and who are your friends and allies......lemme break it down to ya.....

.....its like tht little kid in school who always makes fun of you and he always hangs around the bullies......so basically u cant get to him, i mean yeah there is the law of the school and the head teacher, but in reality u cant get to him.....get the picture!!

im sorry i cant be more expressive more than this, and u know why!!!!!

I can't deny that more or less of what you've written is valid. The advisory council have expressed thier reservations over easing the sponsorship law several times in the past. Again, with other GCC countries taking reforming measures on the law. I think Qatar eventually must & will follow.

As been written many times before, we are a minority here. Most of the locals are conservatives and has fear of multi culturalism. In one way or another they assume that the current sponsorship law protects our identity & interests.

What would you do , if your country was taken up by foreigners ?

.......this is a toast to all those speculators and all rumour mongers..... who go about saying that they gonna expect a reduction and an ease of the ban, make the sponsorship system more "expat-friendly" and blah blah blah.......very sad and naive.....speculators galaore.....

http://www.qatarliving.com/answers/visas-and-permits/is-it-true-that-qatar-may-abolish-sponsorship-system

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/1509169

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/1508918

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/1441095

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/1488226

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/1498626

http://www.qatarliving.com/node/1506148

i cud go on and on......

its true guys tht in some way this survey might mean squat cuz it was held by students on students, but then these students are the future government position holders and also part of the elite (ummm how about position holders in the labour ministry!).....

again this isnt a surprise, its expected and yes more than we can imagine they do have a say in the policies, (if its bad for us and our families...well boohooo!)....

so lets go everybody lets dance in the corniche and flutter flags yaaaay!!!!

pshyc!!!

Qatar should sign ILO Conventions to remain active members of the international community.

Under ILO conventions retaining travel documents of employees, travel restrictions (as in the case of exit permit requirements) and Job change restrictions all amount to Bonded or Slave Labour.

I don't agree with UK and USA policies on migrant workers either. They also escape narrowly from the implications of the relevant ILO and Human rights conventions by using various means and for the reason that a lot of migrant workers cannot afford to go to local or European courts.

All foreign expats in Qatar or GCC should also think about the migrant workers in their own countries and support them. If you think that Migrant workers are being treated fairly in your country, check ILO website and read your country report and it will be full of violations. Go to the website of European Court of Human Rights and you will find that there are many cases of Human rights violations against all EU states. UK home office is the worst of all in this respect.

And yet if you look at the local polls, the majority of local population will be against foreign workers, even if expats are adding to the economy. Ireland may be one of the examples where fast growth can only be contributed to foreign workers or other wise they will not be home for companies like intel and their hospitals be without doctors.

For all living in Qatar, local or expats: It is also about values so please don't support slavery whether in Qatar, GCC or rest of the world. Slavery is not just discouraged in all religions but it is also against humanity and human norms.

just saying genesis :)

if Banadol and Brofen are the cause of weakening health services, then i can feel sorry for their pathetic mentality.

Now look, that's why you shouldn't take the study seriously ;)

Is there Human Rights Commission in Qatar ????

It shouldn't be a shock.. Society here is evolving at a fast pace. This will cause issues between thhose who want cange and those who see change as a negative..

were they REAL students who approved wife beating? OMG what a crap survey!!!!

The study was based on personal interviews of 2139 male & female Qatari students of QU. It covered many social aspects of life in Qatar.

As per the study, 38% of Qatari women are married to their cousins.

One shocking finding was that 25% of female students who were interviewed approves that wives to be beaten by their spouses for visiting friends or relatives or even going shopping without permission! In addition to ill treating their in-laws or neglecting the children !!!

http://www.raya.com/local/exclusivenews/Pages/2011-1-5-34.aspx

where as all other GCC's are on the verge of considering a more relaxing ways of sponsorship....it could be considered as an echo in the wilderness.

alexam, qatar has a long way to go when it comes to development and addressing problems such as traffic is a shot at the moon and about our home country, it's a shot at the farthest planet in our solar system C:

Countries with ample resources and low population with close by countries that have high populations living in poverty makes for very strange circumstances

The nationals can afford to want to have tighter rules because they know there are still tons of people wanting to come

I'd love to come back to this thread once the gas resources run out... may be in forty or fifty years

Now I know that the reserves are forecasted to last longer but with production being ramped up the way it is now and probably even more so with the world cup an'all... who knows...

somwerNdmiddle It's true the number of expatriates increased. But how about the number of vehicles on the road that keep on increasing unabated. Regulation to the number of vehicle a person can own and register. Good planning for all types of public transportation (ex.metro trains ,buses etc.)to be made available to the commuters. Encourage the masses to use public transportation. This will help a lot in minimizing the traffic woes. One good example is the Lion City of Singapore. I hope this type of alternative solution can work in this country. I've been to the USA last June particularly in Las Vegas Nevada. I was amazed with their state of the art infrastructure and the smooth flow of traffic. Man I wish my city in my home country can be transformed like Las Vegas. To dream is free and a temporary respite from reality.

so its all crap then :D

As been reported in many studies, the outflow remittances has a huge Impact on our economy and puts pressure on exchange rates,  fiscal & monetary policies

If we exclude western & Arab expatriates, the rest of the expatriates spend & invest very little locally ( and yes, I'm generalizing)

Stating all this , it's important to highlight that they have no say in all this. Not to mention the study was conducted on local students in QU

So I wouldn't really take it seriously ;)

even they will make 100 surveys and 100% of the citizens will support that the sponsorship law should be more tightened, still the pressure is coming from the human rights organization to change this slave system.

in other phrase, this type of surveys are useless.

Qatar & it's Survey . . .lmfao

What survey is this...?They supposed to take the survey citizens and expatriates equally. when you ask majority citizens they would love the slavery system. They would never like to change the current sponsership system.If they will face the same system from other europe and american countries then they will realize how serious issue is this.Atleast government have to take out the "the exit permit rule".

this tightening of sponsorship law is the answer to all those humors in church...

People will still stay here so long as they get the money at the end of the month.

if ever that will happen i won't move to UAE, life is so expensive there!

I remember that few years back I was also expecting some good news regarding sponsorship law, because of some positive news from Qatar Human Rights Commission. But...unfortunately, the recommendation from the concerned dept to extend the re-entry ban from 2 years to 5 years.........You think how it will be.......They can accuse expats for everything.....How they come here, who brought them here.....

everyone will move to Bahrain and UAE and do what?

let them make it more tightened, and they we suffer from seeing everyone moving to Bahrain and UAE

all of the above edifis :(

Part-time work

Side business

lengthier visa ban

etc etc

What does tighten mean here? Does it imply

1)Increase re-entry ban?

or

b) make the laborers life long slaves or indentured servant?

or

c) Tie them up very tight with a rope?

translation problem?

foreign workers put a stress on the health services? really? who comprises the majority of the health work force here?

and we weaken their resources? what resources? all they have is flat land, sands and oil. they get rich by selling oil abroad, it's their fault :D

It's a survey :O)

A mojority say that foreign workers put stresses on the infrastructure and health services... It's probably true..

What's strange is the comment that "foreign workers weaken the country and take away its resources."

What does this mean ? That they send money home ?

They want less labourers here. Then do the crappy jobs YOURSELF!

expats are to be blamed for the traffic congestions, yeah right!