People who fake certificates to get a visa or a job face up to ten years in prison, an official has warned. Meanwhile, those who photocopy official documents and tamper with them face up to five years in jail, the official said.

People whose certificates or degrees are proven to be fake will also be included in a blacklist to be circulated in all GCC countries.

There are several problems plaguing the local job market and they are complicated and interconnected. They pose severe challenges to efforts for reforms.

There are wage disparities in the public and mixed sectors. Salaries of male employees are different from those of their female colleagues in all sectors.

There are huge differences in the salaries of citizens and expatriates, especially in the private sector. Fixing working hours is another problem.

But we are facing a big problem of forged certificates and degrees from graduates to PhDs. Fake degrees have literally invaded the local market and hardly any sector is safe from this threat.

This is a threat not only to the job market, but to the safety of an individual. The action taken to curb this menace has been limited and without much impact. The issue is not being addressed with the seriousness it deserves, considering its economic and social implications.

So far, there is no clear or specific punishment for those found involved in forgeries. There are no clear-cut rules to prosecute, imprison or deport the offenders and blacklist their names to ban their entry into the country forever.

In the engineering sector, for example, there should be a blacklist (of citizens and expatriates) with forged degrees and they should be banned from practice.

Accountants caught with fake degrees should be referred to the investigating agencies and public prosecution. The medical sector should also have some ways to announce the names of those involved in the forgery.

The ministries and authorities concerned should do their best to evaluate the degrees and formulate the necessary mechanisms to check the authenticity of documents. Anyone found guilty should be referred to the Ministry of Interior for appropriate action. The perpetrators should not be allowed to leave the country and come back with another forged degree. Erring expatriates should be deported and blacklisted so that they cannot come back.

In short, much more needs to be done to prevent those holding forged certificates and degrees from reaching the job market. The Ministry of Education must take the lead in this and eradicate this problem. But unfortunately, they are yet to take notice. There is no action, discussion or creation of awareness on a malaise that is growing, threatening the very foundation of our education.

Qatar makes it harder to fake education credentials

Qatar’s government has rolled out new requirements to prove one’s higher education credentials.

The move appears to be an effort to curb fraud, but has also made it difficult for qualified grads to find work or change jobs in the country.

Graduates of foreign universities are now required to obtain a letter from their institutions confirming specific details about their courses before receiving approval for a residence permit.

The stipulations are in addition to existing rules that require expats to have degrees and transcripts attested by their own government and the Qatar embassy in their home country. – Doha News Reported.

People who fake certificates to get a visa or a job face up to ten years in prison, an official has warned. Meanwhile, those who photocopy official documents and tamper with them face up to five years in jail, the official said.

Suspects face charges of forging an official document, faking a stamp, and attempting to use the fake document.

Earlier Report: More than 60 fake medical certificates seized in Qatar

The bogus documents were discovered during a scrutiny programme launched in April, to assess the authenticity of all medical documents, following a surge of more than 100 per cent in the number of foreigners applying for medical licences to practise in Qatar, officials said.

Qatari authorities said that they have found more than 60 fake medical certificates submitted by people working in private clinics.

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