3 July 2010
MANAMA – A total of 338 illegal expatriate workers have been arrested by authorities in Bahrain, out of whom 110 face deportation. The arrests followed inspection raids carried out between January and June.
The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) launched the raids in association with the Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture and security forces as part of an Easy Exit Campaign that began on May 25.
The campaign allows runaway workers to leave the country without paying accumulative fees for overstaying if they approach the authorities concerned or their embassies.
However, no such facility has been offered to those caught during inspection raids.
LMRA’s Law Enforcement officer, Younis Al Hermi, told the press that the campaign was part of an effort to eliminate irregular workers in Bahrain.
He said the raids being conducted in all districts of Bahrain in association with the police, while municipalities were involved in tackling foreign street venders who are selling products without permission or proper visas.
The LMRA also helped 143 workers reach settlement with their employers while it took action against 443 workers and 254 employers from January to May.
During the same period, 254 out of 4,801 establishments visited by inspectors were found with some violations.