Move follows Guardian investigation into abuse and exploitation of migrant workers preparing emirate for 2022 tournament

Qatar has promised to scrap key elements of its controversial labour laws, in the wake of an international outcry over conditions for migrant workers before the 2022 World Cup, which followed a Guardian investigation into workplace abuse in the Gulf state.

Officials said they would replace the country's "kafala" sponsorship system, which tethers workers to a single employer, who can therefore treat his workforce with impunity, pending the approval of a draft law.

But human rights groups, which had hoped this would be a watershed moment, feared the lack of detailed proposals represented "a missed opportunity to tackle the key issues". Amnesty International said it suspected it amounted to a "change of name rather than a reform to the system".

One significant change is to make it less difficult – though not necessarily easy – for foreigners to leave the country and change jobs. However, altering the rules on "exit visas", which restrict a worker's ability to leave Qatar, and other reforms will have to be ratified by the shura (advisory) council, and businesspeople in Qatar are expected to oppose them vigorously.

"We are going to abolish the kafala system and it will move to the legislative institutions," said Colonel Abdullah Saqr al-Mohannadi, human rights director of the Qatari interior ministry. "It will be replaced by a contractual relationship between employer and employee. We hope that the exit visa will be abolished completely."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/14/qatar-reform-labout-laws-outcry-world-cup-slaves