EXPATRIATES coming to Bahrain on tourist visas could be prohibited from changing to work visas, if MPs have their way.
The move is amongst 39 recommendations put forward by a committee probing into the Labour Market Regulatory Authority’s (LMRA) performance.
Labour Minister and LMRA board chairman Jameel Humaidan has been summoned to Parliament’s session on Tuesday along with senior LMRA officials.
The committee’s report highlighted that 85,246 expats were allowed to change their visas, from 2019 to June 2023.
A total of 13,078 changed visas in 2019, 7,942 in 2020, 9,424 in 2021, 46,204 in 2022 and 8,598 until June this year.
Amongst other demands is a cancellation of two decisions to provide some LMRA services in registration centres and allowing expats to register as skilled workers.
“We recommend taking serious action against all LMRA officials who didn’t exercise their duties properly, bypassed regulations or were not committed to assigned responsibilities,” said the report signed by committee chairman Mamdooh Al Saleh.
Other demands include: Having the government review all unsent information and documents in the possession of the LMRA, which were unsent to Parliament, and may lead to more findings; re-evaluate all expat employment policies and procedures; re-evaluate the current obligation of having all jobs advertised in the local Press; and launch a job search section for Bahrainis only on the LMRA website.
MPs are also demanding that the LMRA chief executive introduce a work plan, presenting reports to the board every three months, publishing audited accounts in the Official Gazette, and presenting the responsible minister with annual reports detailing problems and hurdles.
“We call the board to meet at least four times a year, introduce administrative governance standards, hire external auditors, oblige inspectors to present regular reports, schedule training, present a study on the decision regulating manpower agencies work and field checks on their activities, and co-ordinate with counterparts in the GCC on effective systems.”
In the recommendations, MPs are demanding a comprehensive plan from the LMRA on Bahrainisation, improving response to complaints and grievances, resolving issues related to workers with expired permits, and producing job indicators and indexes.
Three recommendations come within MPs’ jurisdictions: Taking political action against all violations, amending the 2006 Labour Market Regulatory Law that would give grace periods, within the same law doubling the obligatory period for expats to stay with an employer from a year to two.
Meanwhile, MPs will vote on two requests to launch two probe committees into medical services and the Jaffari and Sunni Waqf (Endowments) directorates.
MPs Hassan Rashid and Mohammed Al Marafi have sent two letters to replace seats in their respective committees.
It follows both running for the chairman’s post and losing.
Mr Rashid ran against Zainab Abdulamir in the financial and economic affairs committee and lost in a draw after equal votes and the same with Mr Al Marafi who lost to Abdulla Al Romaihi for chairmanship of the foreign affairs, defence and national security committee.
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