LMRA's Response to Unprecedented Population Figures: Bahrainis Now a Minority

According to official government figures released by Bahrain's Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) this week, Bahrain's total expatriate population amounts to 568,790 or 51.4 percent of the country's population. Although now in recent decline, for the first time in Bahrain's history its foreign population exceeds that of Bahrainis.

In response, the LMRA has requested assistance from local embassies and consulates in deporting illegal workers who have violated the terms of their work visas, do not possess appropriate documentation, or have exceeded their allotted time to stay in Bahrain as a way to reestablish a Bahraini majority. Diplomatic representatives of the following targeted national groups are working with various branches of the Bahraini Government to limit numbers of their illegal workers: India, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordon, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Tunisia, Bangladesh, The Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Iran, Germany, Japan and Malaysia.

Despite the positive role that these diplomatic missions can play by providing orientations to incoming workers and promoting awareness among their citizens to comply with visa regulations and to leave Bahrain when their residence or work permits expire, diplomatic mission representatives responded by underscoring the difficulties they face when reaching out to their citizens staying illegally in Bahrain, especially since illegals would obviously tend to stay away from diplomatic missions for fear of deportation. Others noted that their priorities are to ensure the security of their citizens (many of whom risk deportation for running away from abusive sponsors) before assisting the GKB with their immediate deportation.

While deporting workers who can no longer present appropriate documentation to stay in Bahrain is a necessary measure to protect its dwindling majority in national citizenship, the government should not overlook the reason why many of these workers lack the documentation as well. Sponsors are still known to seize required visas and associated documentation from their workers until their visa debts are repaid, making them "illegal" by default if they try to switch employers or escape abuse.

Although this system of sponsorship has been formally suspended in Bahrain, there is still limited regulation of employer-worker relations, especially in private homes.