Foreign embassies should be kept in the loop if their nationals seek help from a proposed government shelter for distressed expatriate workers, according to a leading diplomat.
Indonesian Ambassador Chilman Arisman said diplomatic missions should be informed of court cases against labourers and involved in rehabilitating them when they run into problems.
He told the GDN their involvement would ensure services offered by the facility will not be abused by any party.
“We need to look into the number of people the shelter can accommodate and ensure proper employees work round-the-clock so that workers in distress are not left unattended,” he said.
“There will be people from different nationalities housed in this facility, who face similar problems that require a set of guidelines to ensure the services provided are not misused to accommodate any person.”
The residential sanctuary, which was proposed by the Bahrain Federation of Expatriate Associations, will provide legal, medical and psychological support to expatriates who run into difficulties in Bahrain.
A permanent location for the purpose-built shelter has yet to be found as plans to open a temporary facility are being discussed.
Mr Arisman said officials from ministries concerned should also act as mediators between expatriates and their employers to ensure out-of-court settlements.
“We are talking about people who face problems, such as conflict with their employers, which require moderators to solve the case between the two sides,” he explained.
“They have to follow up the cases in court, which could take years to settle.
“The best way to overcome this problem is to mediate with the employer of the party concerned to end any sort of misunderstanding.”
Co-operation
Mr Arisman said they handle many cases of runaway domestic workers, who are housed at the embassy’s shelter until their problems are resolved.
“There are about 9,000 Indonesians working in Bahrain who are an integral part of the society, with majority of them being employed as domestic workers,” he said.
“We have some cases of runaways and even human trafficking that are being dealt with by the embassy.”
However, the diplomat wants to change the image of his country in the Middle East, which is seen as a recruitment agency for housemaids.
“We need to divert to recruitment of skilled workers that will add value as Indonesians feel at home in Bahrain,” he said.
He added that an Indonesian delegation visited Bahrain last month to discuss the development of skilled Indonesian workers in Manama.
They met Labour Market Regulatory Authority chief executive Ausamah Al Absi to explore the situation of Indonesian workers in Bahrain and aspects of co-operation regarding workers’ recruitment, protection, awareness, legal rights and duties.