Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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296. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will request the Saudi and Qatari authorities to withdraw the requirement for exit visas in order to facilitate the return of trapped migrant workers to prevent a humanitarian crisis. [39829/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am very concerned by the difficulties faced by migrant workers in both Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and I strongly deplore any abuses of workers’ rights.

Ireland raises human rights issues regularly in the EU context, in bilateral discussions at every suitable opportunity and we participate fully in the Universal Periodic Review mechanism of the Human Rights Council.

For example, in the context of the Universal Periodic Review of Qatar by the Human Rights Council in 2014, Ireland expressed concerns about widespread reports of violations of the rights of migrant workers, especially in the context of the 2022 World Cup. Ireland expressed particular concerns about the Kafala system of sponsorship, and encouraged Qatar to undertake a thorough review of the regulatory regime for migrant workers, with the aim of bringing it into line with international human rights and labour standards. In addition Ireland recommended that Qatar abolish the ‘exit visa’ system for migrant workers. More recently, Ireland’s Ambassador to Qatar raised these issues directly with the Foreign Ministry of Qatar.

I urge the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia to cooperate with the UN and the International Labour Organisation and to work to improve the situation of migrant workers and their families in their respective countries.