Qatar

Qatar faces a diplomatic crisis since 2017, when some neighbors cut diplomatic ties and expelled Qatari citizens. In 2018, Qatar passed a number of important human rights reforms but failed to deliver on several other promised reforms. The kafala (sponsorship) system, which gives employers extensive powers over migrant workers, remains largely in place and continues to facilitate the abuse and exploitation of the country’s migrant workforce. Families from the Ghufran clan remain stateless and deprived of key human rights 20 years after the government stripped them of their citizenship. Qatari laws continue to discriminate against women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals.