Qatar flew home 10,000 workers who were victims of labour abuse during 2015, official government figures have revealed.
The number was released by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs as Qatar announced it had abolished its Kafala labour system from Tuesday.
All the flights were paid for by the state, said officials.
Doha has introduced a new contract-based system for foreign workers from December 13, which it says will give more protection to workers and safeguard their rights.
Under Kafala, all foreign workers working in Qatar required a local sponsor, in the form of an individual or company, and needed their permission to switch jobs or leave the country.
Under the new system, workers will still need the permission of their employer to leave the country.
There are 2.1mn migrant labourers in Qatar, according to the ministry, from countries including Nepal, Bangladesh and India.
Many are working on 2022 football World Cup infrastructure projects.
