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A TOTAL of 1,728 inspection campaigns and visits were conducted by labour inspectors across Bahrain last week as a crackdown on undocumented expatriate workers and illegal residents continues.
Twenty-four irregular workers were identified during the raids between August 17 and 23 and 83 expatriates of different nationalities were deported from the kingdom.
In a weekly statement yesterday, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) said 1,715 visits were carried out to inspect shops and establishments across the kingdom, in addition to 13 joint campaigns, that included five in the Muharraq Governorate and four each in Northern and Southern governorates.
The inspections also resulted in monitoring a number of violations related to the provisions of laws, especially the LMRA and the residency laws in Bahrain.
Legal measures have been taken regarding the violations, the statement added.
The joint campaigns were carried out in collaboration with the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA), each governorate’s respective police directorates, Civil Defence, Health Ministry, Industry and Commerce Ministry and the Social Insurance Organisation.
Since January last year, a total of 90,756 inspection visits and 1,253 joint campaigns have been conducted, resulting in 3,326 detentions and the deportation of 10,504 irregular workers.
The labour watchdog vowed to continue co-ordinating with government agencies to intensify inspections in all the governorates and address any violations or practices that negatively affect the stability and competitiveness of the labour market or harm economic and social security.
People are being urged to report illegal labour practices and violations via the website www.lmra.gov.bh, by calling 17506055, or via the government’s suggestions and complaints system Tawasul.
In addition, citizens and residents can report residency or labour law violations by contacting the NPRA call centre at 17077077 or email info@npra.gov.bh.
Furthermore, expatriates facing travel-related issues can visit the Travel Facilitation Office at the NPRA to complete the necessary procedures and ensure all requirements are met before leaving the kingdom.
Earlier this month, LMRA chief executive Nibras Talib revealed that labour inspectors were now equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) tools to boost their efficiency and further communicate effectively with expatriate workers about their rights and responsibilities in their native languages.
He said this was part of new measures taken by the authority to combat trafficking in persons.
Sources told the GDN that AI tools have been installed on iPads used by labour inspectors during their visits to help them explain the rights, duties or violations to expat workers in different languages.
In recent years, Bahrain has enforced tough regulations to prevent the misuse of tourist visas and to ensure those seeking employment arrive with proper work permits issued by their employers. These measures also aim to boost job opportunities for Bahrainis and reduce unemployment by supporting citizens as the first choice for employers.
Mr Talib earlier told MPs that the introduction of the new rules has had a huge impact, with the incidence of tourist or visit visas being converted into work permits dropping by more than 87 per cent.
Under the rules, a visit visa can no longer be converted into a work or dependent visa without a sponsor. However, visit visas with a sponsor can be transferred to a work or dependent visa for a revised fee of BD250, instead of the previous BD60, only if it is for the same sponsor.
The number of expat work permits issued reached 631,763 by the end of the second quarter of last year representing an increase of 3.8pc annually compared to 608,411 permits in the second quarter of 2023.
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