Two complementary proposals aimed at strengthening oversight of academic qualifications held by foreigners in the public and private sectors have been given the go-ahead by MPs.
The move follows growing concerns over forged university degrees and the risks they pose to public safety and institutional integrity.
The first urgent proposal calls for the establishment of a specialised committee to review and verify the university degrees of expatriates employed in ministries and government bodies on permanent or temporary contracts.
The second, introduced through the regular parliamentary process, seeks to impose stricter scrutiny of foreign workers’ academic qualifications before work permits are issued – particularly in professional fields.
Both proposals have been referred to the Cabinet for review.
Five MPs, led by Strategic Thinking Bloc spokesman Khalid Bu Onk, who submitted the first proposal highlighted reports of organised networks in India engaged in the professional forgery of academic certificates across diverse fields, including medicine, technology, and science. They called for the formation of a unified committee bringing together the Education, Labour, Justice and Interior ministries to co-ordinate verification mechanisms, exchange information, and take legal action against holders of forged qualifications.
“This is not about targeting expatriates, but about upholding the rule of law and professional integrity,” Mr Bu Onk remarked.
Parliament’s services committee chairman MP Mamdooh Al Saleh said unifying verification procedures and closing loopholes are essential for safeguarding the credibility of Bahrain’s labour market.
The second proposal by five MPs led by Jalal Kadhem Al Mahfoodh focuses on reinforcing co-ordination between the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and official bodies responsible for equating academic qualifications, ensuring credentials are fully verified before expatriates are granted work permits.
The services committee, in its report discussed during the session, noted that expatriates make up a significant share of the workforce across both public and private sectors, making robust verification systems essential.
While the LMRA confirmed that checks already exist for licensed professions, MPs argued that current procedures do not cover all occupations equally.
Both labour unions strongly supported the measures.
Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam emphasised that the scrutiny should apply to all expatriate professionals, ensuring the process remains fair and does not single out any specific nationality.
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