Bahrain society to intensify protests against scrapping of sponsorship system

Manama: A Bahraini non-governmental society has threatened to launch a wave of strikes and rallies and issue calls for resignations to help reverse the decision to scrap the sponsorship system for foreigners.
“The action threats were sparked by the decisions of the labour ministry and which are invariably targeting the economically-challenged sections of the society,” Waheed Al Dossari, the honorary head of the Bahrain Fishermen Society, said. “However, our actions will this time be loud and clear, especially that our movement has already won the support of butchers and vegetable and fruit sellers,” he said.
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Visa rule hope for children…

By BEGENA P PRADEEP
Children born to parents working for different sponsors may soon be given residence permits, officials revealed yesterday.
Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) chief executive officer Ali Radhi said he had come across cases where children born to parents working for different sponsors are denied a residence permit by law.
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Blocking the way

I read about the renewal of residence/work permits for expatriate staff who are above 60.
But I don’t find any of the criteria mentioned in the report being followed, ie, – the employee should have a minimum salary of BD1,000/; he should have an educational background, be medically fit, etc. Residence permits for expatriates above 60 are renewed just on application.
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GCC single visa?

ABU DHABI: GCC immigration chiefs are expected to approve a single visa application system.
The planned visa will enable visitors to tour all the six member countries, Kuwaiti General Administration for Immigration director-general Brig Kamel Al Awadhi said yesterday on the sidelines of the 24th meeting of GCC immigration chiefs.
Officials will also adopt an overture to give foreign residents in GCC countries a “double residency permit” in order to allow them to study and open offices in any member country.

How much longer?

I have been trying for my wife’s visa for the last three-and-a-half months. But I am hugely disappointed by the way things work here.
For the first one month, I wasn’t able to apply because my information wasn’t updated on the LMRA website.
When I was finally able to apply, the LMRA abruptly changed the rule, making it compulsory for the wife’s passport to bear the husband’s name, and my wife’s visa was rejected.
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Bosses face new LMRA deadline

By MANDEEP SINGH

EMPLOYERS in Bahrain have until Wednesday to pay outstanding fees to the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), or risk having all their foreign workers’ visas cancelled.
The measure will also include employers who have failed to register and update their information, as well as those who have not renewed their employees’ expired work visas, said LMRA chief executive Ali Radhi.
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