Manama: Intensified efforts by a labour watchdog have resulted in a drastic drop in the number of runaway workers.
Runaways now represent 0.4 per cent of the total migrant workers in the country, according to Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) chief executive Ausamah Al Absi.
He stressed that runaways were not eligible to apply for the flexi work permit scheme, that allows expats to sponsor themselves under special provisions.
There are an estimated 55,000 illegal foreign workers in Bahrain, with the majority of them being from Bangladesh.
“Efforts taken by the LMRA in the past few months has helped reduce the number of runaway workers,” Mr Al Absi told the GDN yesterday.
“Runaway workers represent a minimal 0.4pc of the total migrant workers in the country.
“They cannot benefit from the flexi work permit scheme and transfer to a new employer, but can avail of the general amnesty that ends in December.”
The amnesty covers irregular workers who can leave the country without paying any fee or penalties. Those with expired or terminated work permits are covered under the government scheme.
“We launched the amnesty in April and until now more than 53,000 expats have benefitted as they regularised their stay or applied for the flexi work permit scheme.
“There are three types of irregular workers – those who have been terminated by their employer, those whose companies did not renew or cancel their work permits and the third are the runaways.”
Mr Al Absi said the bulk of workers find themselves irregular due to the action of their employers.
“It is important for us to change the mindset of people who think runaway workers represent a big chunk of the population, which is not the case.”
The official urged companies to contact the LMRA immediately if their employees have been absent from work for 15 days or more without any reason, so they can register details in their system to stop the expat from switching jobs.
“The total number of irregular expatriates is now lower than what it was since the start of the year,” Mr Al Absi said.
The official stated earlier this month that the flexi work permit resulted in a 43pc drop in the number of illegal migrant workers since the scheme was launched in 2017.
The last amnesty was in 2015 for six months during which a total of 42,109 workers benefited from the grace period of which 76pc or 31,894 workers stayed in the country after moving to new employers, while 24pc, or 10,125, returned to their home countries.
Another amnesty was held in 2010, when more than 6,000 illegal workers left the country, while thousands of undocumented migrant workers left during a five-month grace period in 2007.
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