Immigration warns 300k Egyptians in Doha of being deported

CAIRO – 12 May 2018: The Ministry of Manpower and Immigration has warned Saturday the Egyptian workforce in Qatar of being deported for violating the Qatari labor laws, an official statement said.

The ministry demanded the Egyptian nationals in Qatar to adhere to their original employers, their official secondments – if available –, or to the contracts between the original employers and their current employers.

There are around 300,000 Egyptian nationals working in Qatar, according to Minister of State for Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates' Affairs Nabila Makram.

Egypt, along with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, cut off their diplomatic ties with Doha in June 2017 for supporting and financing terrorism and having close ties with regional foe Iran.

The anti-terrorism coalition also accused Qatar of supporting terrorism and specifically the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been outlawed by the government of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi since he came to power in July 2013.

The ministry also warned that the Qatari police and the Ministry of Administrative Development and Labour have launched a wide-scale operation to apprehend violators to the Qatari laws of labor and residence and deport them back to their countries.

In this regard, Labor Councilor in Doha Hisham Mohamed said in case a violation is detected, the violator shall be summoned before the immigration attorney that will either bail him out or refer them to court.

He also added that violators have the right to provide evidence that their original employers know of the third-party employers in Qatar, either by providing a contract or witnesses; in case these evidences are provided, the court will have the choice to fine violators a maximum fine of QAR 12,000 or less.

Moreover, in case a violator cannot afford the fine, he has the right to submit a complaint to the Human Rights Authority of the Qatari Interior Ministry to explain his situation, however, if the case is rejected, the violator will be deported back to his country.