Qatar has urged governments to widen safe labour routes, strengthen worker protection and track migration pledges through measurable indicators, placing implementation at the centre of global migration policy talks in New York.The call was made at the Second International Migration Review Forum, held at United Nations headquarters from 5 to 8 May, where states reviewed progress under the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Doha’s position was set out by Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour, who said migration policy had to move beyond declarations towards practical systems capable of protecting workers across borders.
Qatar’s intervention focused on three areas: expanding regular migration pathways, embedding safeguards throughout the migration cycle, and strengthening accountability within the forum’s review process. Doha argued that legal migration routes should be treated as proactive labour-market tools, not merely as substitutes for irregular movement. The message reflected growing pressure on destination and origin countries to manage labour shortages, demographic shifts, climate disruption and technological change without exposing migrant workers to recruitment abuse, wage theft or trafficking.
The forum took place against a backdrop of expanding global mobility. The number of international migrants reached about 304 million in 2024, almost double the level recorded in 1990. Migrant workers account for a large share of that movement, with labour mobility shaping sectors from construction and care work to hospitality, logistics, energy and domestic services. Gulf economies, including Qatar, remain heavily dependent on foreign labour, making migration governance central to economic planning as well as human-rights policy.
Doha said protection must begin before departure in countries of origin and continue through recruitment, employment, residency procedures and reintegration after return. It called for closer alignment between labour ministries, immigration authorities, law-enforcement agencies and anti-trafficking bodies, arguing that fragmented systems allow exploitation to move across borders and regulatory gaps.
Qatar also pressed for stronger measurement within the Global Compact framework, saying the compact’s 23 objectives require indicators that can be monitored over successive review cycles. The emphasis on data and accountability reflects wider concern that migration forums often produce broad commitments without consistent tools to assess whether migrant workers are safer, recruitment costs are lower, or legal remedies are easier to access.
The State of Qatar presented its domestic labour reforms as part of that agenda. Over the past several years, Doha has abolished exit permit requirements for most migrant workers, introduced procedures allowing job changes without employer permission, and brought in a non-discriminatory minimum wage. It has also established Qatar Visa Centres in several labour-sending countries to verify contracts and conduct pre-departure procedures before workers travel.
The minimum wage system set a basic wage of QAR1,000, with additional allowances for food and accommodation where these are not provided by the employer. The measures were designed to curb contract substitution and improve wage protection, though implementation remains closely watched by labour advocates and governments whose citizens work in Qatar.
Doha’s statement acknowledged that reform requires enforcement, not only legislation. Qatar said it had expanded complaint channels, dispute-resolution mechanisms and oversight tools, while creating clearer penalties for violations. It also highlighted an integrated anti-trafficking model linking labour inspection, residency regulation, policing and victim support.
Labour-rights campaigners have continued to argue that gaps remain, particularly on wage recovery, recruitment debt, domestic worker protection and the dependency created when residency status is tied to employers. Qatar has maintained that its reform programme is ongoing and that cooperation with international organisations and countries of origin is needed to close enforcement gaps.
Sheikha Najwa also took part in side events on fair recruitment and protection from exploitation and human trafficking. One event, linked to the Doha Dialogue, examined how Gulf Cooperation Council states and African countries can move from policy discussion to operational safeguards. Another, co-hosted with Uzbekistan, focused on victim protection, referral mechanisms and institutional coordination between labour-sending and labour-receiving countries.
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