Qatar has banned more than 900 companies and 500 Qataris from hiring new employees after they were found violating the country’s labor law, the Ministry of Interior has announced.

The ban is the result of a nationwide crackdown against labor law violators from across the spectrum, including absconding workers, companies that don’t pay employees on time and individuals who hire runaway maids.

The housing of bachelors in residential areas, which was made illegal late last year, has also been a focus.

In the first quarter of 2012, the ministry’s Search and Follow Up department conducted 8,085 surprise inspections, the Peninsula reports.

The newfound attention to enforcement has drawn criticism from some Qatar residents who say the government should also question why the labor law was broken instead of simply punishing people for breaking it.

In a recent Doha News post about the labor crackdown, commenter Al Baker writes:

Before cracking down on illegal workers shouldn’t we be fixing the countless flaws within the current employment system?

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo by Shell