Kenya/Ethiopia: Reciprocal agreement likely to relax work permit rules
France: New immigration law expected late 2016
A new law is expected to reorganize and create new work permit categories, create a work permit exemption for eligible foreign workers on assignments under three months and consolidate residence permit options. The implementation date of the new provisions is expected to be announced in November 2016, along with related process and documentary requirement changes.
Romania: Work permit quotas for 2016 announced
The Romanian Government has announced that 5,500 spots will be available for foreign workers in 2016, the same number that was available in 2015. The General Immigration Inspectorate will start issuing work authorizations once this information has been published in the Official Gazette of Romania, which is expected to happen within the next few days.
Qatar: Reform of Qatar labour law to kick in December 2016
Long-awaited changes to Qatar's ‘kafala’ labour law for foreign workers will come into force in December 2016.
The law reforming rules that oversee exit visas and work contracts in the gas-rich Gulf state were published in Qatar's official gazette.
The Arabic-language Al-Sharq reported that the changes will take effect on December 14 2016, 14 months after first being approved.
This is the first time a definitive date has been given for the new laws to come into force.
UAE: New UAE rules to ensure healthy labour market
Abu Dhabi: Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Labour, has issued three ministerial decrees in an effort to enhance UAE labour market conditions and consolidate the contractual nature of labour relations.
The new rules, described by the minister as “a major milestone”, also seek to “close certain gaps pertaining to the enforcement and monitoring of labour relations, and provide for increased labour mobility in accordance with the provisions of our labour law”.
“I trust that these new decrees, together with the hard work ahead of us to improve our implementation and enforcement capacities, will translate into a qualitative leap in our quest to improve labour conditions in the UAE,” Ghobash said.