Following the passing of Law No. 11 of 2018, Cabinet Decision No. 13 of 2019 defines the benefits and rights of political refugees residing within Qatar.
Cabinet Resolution No. 12 of 2019 was written after Law No. 11 of 2018 was passed and established a need to define eligibility of political asylum.
The Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs signed a decision laying down the conditions and procedures for the election of workers' representatives to joint committees of companies and establishments that have 30 or more employees. The committee will include representatives of the employer and the workers and will look into all work-related matters in a company or establishment, including the organisation of work, ways to increase and develop production and improve productivity, training programmes for workers, risk prevention means and means to improve the level of compliance with occupational safety and health rules.
The Law governing the entry and exit of expatriate workers in Qatar was amended in to allow them to exit the country on temporary or permanent basis without obtaining prior approval from their employer in the form of an exit permit, but did not cover expatriates working in government and public entities, in the oil and gas sector, at sea, in agriculture, in private offices and as domestic workers. Decision No. 95 of 2019 was then issued by the Minister of Interior and removed exit permit requirements for most of the workers excluded from the September 2018 amendment, except for military personnel.
Decision No. 39 establishes a three-month probation period for domestic workers.
Law No. 10 allows 100 permanent residency permits to be issued per year, granting permanent residency to foreign residents for the first time, under certain conditions, which will provide the same social security benefits as Qatari citizens.
Law No. 11 regulates political asylum by allowing all individuals except for those who committed war crimes, human rights violations or non-political crimes to apply for political asylum, granting applicants three months of temporary residency until a final decision on their claim is reached, and then granting asylum to individuals and their family members along with the right to apply for travel documents, right to work, and the right to access government health care, education and housing.
Articles 4 and 7 of Law No. (11) of 2018 on Regulating Political Asylum stipulate that the Minister of Interior establish a Committee for Political Asylee Affairs with members from the Interior, Foreign Affairs and Justice Ministries, the State Security Bureau and the National Human Rights Committee, and defines its modus operandi. The Committee will be responsible for presenting recommendations on political asylum applications to the Minister of Interior who will issue, within three months from the date of receiving the recommendations, a decision approving or rejecting a political asylum application. To date, the Committee has not been established.
Law No. 13 of 2018 amends Article 7 of Law No. 21 of 2015 regarding organizing the entry, exit and residence of expatriates.