20/01/2020 (Agence Europe) – The spokesperson for the European External Action Service welcomed, on 18 January, the measures adopted by Qatar to eliminate exit permits for expatriates, mainly domestic workers. This is “another key step towards the dismantlement of the kefala system governing the employment of migrant workers, which gives employers excessive control over them”, he said in a statement, adding that such workers would now be free to leave Qatar, either temporarily or permanently, for the duration of their employment contract. “The EU strongly supports these labour reform efforts (...) and the cooperation between the Qatari government and the International Labour Organization”, the spokesman said. According to him, the EU looks forward to further improvements in the legal framework covering workers' rights and the effective end of the kefala system. (CG)