Sparing employers from deportation costs

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A proposal to spare Bahraini businesses from footing the bill for deporting runaway foreign workers and returning the bodies of deceased expatriates has passed through Parliament.

MP Jalal Kadhem’s amendment to the 2006 Labour Market Regulation Law shifts the financial duty for deportations entirely onto the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA).

Under the new rules, employers will only pay repatriation costs if a worker dies and relatives specifically request the body’s return.

Direct blame

Until now, businesses faced bills from the LMRA even when they bore no direct blame for a worker absconding or running afoul of the law.

According to Kadhem, the LMRA had used vague wording in the previous law to reclaim costs unfairly from employers.

Kadhem said the Constitution clearly calls for fair economic dealings between workers and employers.

“Businesses already pay hefty fees to the LMRA. To hit them again with deportation charges they did nothing to cause puts needless pressure on them,” he argued.

He explained further that businesses already cover expenses for hiring, visas, accommodation, and annual fees for foreign staff. “Many deportations stem from criminal acts or breaches of law, issues well beyond an employer’s control,” he added.