Car washers, fish sellers and general street vendors have been rounded up by police in the Southern Governorate as part of a crackdown on illegal migrant labourers.
Southern Governorate liaison officer Major Fahad Ali Khalifa announced yesterday that 13 Asian men without valid work permits had been arrested last month following complaints from local residents.
Similar operations have been carried out throughout the summer in the governorate, with the GDN reporting earlier on the arrest of 38 workers in June and July accused of being engaged in “unauthorised trade activities” and violating the terms of their residency.
Major Khalifa described the crackdowns as part of a “clean-up drive” that had been underway since 2012, in line with the directives of Southern Governor Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa.
“All these men were illegal, they were not registered with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and were without a valid work permit,” he said.
The arrests come despite a general amnesty for undocumented migrant workers that is currently underway in Bahrain, having been launched by the LMRA on July 1.
Under the amnesty, which ends on December 31, illegal immigrants are supposed to be allowed to leave Bahrain or “legalise their stay” without facing any punishment or penalties. However, Major Khalifa said that the arrested men had been referred to the Public Prosecution, which would decide whether they would be allowed to take up the amnesty.
Officials in the Southern Governorate are known for having a particularly dim view of migrant labourers.
In April, the Southern Municipal Council submitted a proposal to the Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry calling for all expatriate labourers to be evicted from residential neighbourhoods and shipped off to purpose-built segregated districts.
It followed complaints that a growing number of so-called “expat bachelors” had prompted an exodus of Bahraini families from the governorate.
raji@gdn.com.bh
&uuid=(email))