Bahrain Mirror - Exclusive: According to an announcement by the Labor Market Regulatory Authority last year, it can be confirmed that the Authority sold 24,000 visas to irregular labor since the launch of the flexible work permit (Flexi Permit) system (July 23, 2017).

It is expected that, according to the declared plans for the Authority, additional 24 thousand workers would receive a residence permit in exchange for 449 Bahraini Dinars, bringing to total number to 48 thousand foreign workers by July 2019.

According to press statements by head of the Labor Market Regulatory Authority, Osama Al-Absi, on the occasion of launching the system about a year ago, the Authority aims to issue 2000 work permits as per this system per month for a period of two years, meaning that 24 thousand have already received residence permits until last month.

Al-Absi considered that the system was "to address the problem of irregular employment (...) and give the authority the ability to monitor the repercussions of this category through actual monitoring of its existence".

Instead of limiting the repercussions of irregular employment and its negative effects economically and socially, by limiting it and deporting those whose permit ended, Al-Absi chose to sell them permits in order to monitor their negative effects.

The Authority did not inform the public opinion of the repercussions that this category left after one year on the system, or whether it has actually done what is called "the actual monitoring" of this category's effect on the labor market, in addition to its social effects.

While Al-Absi did not explain the advantages of this system to the Bahrainis, he said that the blue card holders are beneficiaries of the system, saying "they will be able to work in various non-professional jobs, both in full-time and part-time, with one or more employers, workers of flexible permits will be able to benefit from free health care in government centers".

The government, therefore, was not content with placing tens of thousands to complete with the Bahrainis in the market, but rather it also including competition i their basic health care rights, which they are not receiving. In the past months, citizens complained from the lack of basic medications, including diabetes treatments, heart diseases, with the increase of naturalization and foreign workers.

"The worker will be allowed to leave and return to the country normally during the period of visa validity, and the flexible permit will protect the labor rights and avoid any attempts for exploitation or trafficking", Al-Absi said.

Perhaps this advantage is enjoyed by the Asian fraud while leaving the country after he stole 13 million dinars, leaving behind about 54 Bahraini institutions affected, with no government authority to help.

Finally, although he stressed that he was keen to "limit the number of workers under the system per month", yet Al-Absi decided to introduce 2000 workers per month to the Bahraini labor market! The Bahrainis should raise their voices and praise Al-Absi and the government, which approved the system, for being keen on the interests of the Bahrainis, and setting the ceiling at 2000 workers per month and not 20,000!

Arabic Version