A symposium on foreign workers in the Gulf began yesterday, and seems to be covering quite a lot of ground. Foreign workers make up more than a third of the population of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and more than two-thirds here in Qatar. A UN official spoke on the need for better data collection so the needs and rights of those workers can be better addressed.

The issue of permanent and long-term migrants was on the forefront, with some participants even calling for granting citizenship to them. (I think this may already be possible in Qatar, if you've been here for 30 years and speak Arabic, but I can't recall where I read that.)

Finally, I am excited that the issue of sponsorship was raised, with one Kuwaiti arguing that the government, rather than companies or individuals, ought to sponsor migrant workers. I think that the current sponsorship system is responsible for much of the injustice against migrant workers in Qatar, so that was exciting to hear.