Extreme vetting need of the hour

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Qualified nationals should be given priority in recruitment, rather than workers with questionable paperwork. The comments were made by MP Jalal Kadhem, who said such practices are harming the prospects of well-qualified Bahraini job seekers.

He said the issue can only be addressed through strict measures, including rigorous verification of academic and professional credentials. Kadhem also accused employers of recruiting from abroad while overlooking Bahrainis who are qualified for the same roles.

“Priority should be given to nationals, not to workers with questionable paperwork,” he said.

As a solution, he called for closer coordination between the Labour Market Regulatory Authority and professional bodies in each sector, noting that some professions require specialist assessment before licences are issued or overseas recruitment is approved. Referring to engineering, Kadhem said specialist committees comprising representatives from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, the Ministry of Works and the Bahrain Society of Engineers should be involved in verifying qualifications.

He also urged stronger cooperation with civil society organisations, pointing out that professional associations for engineers, lawyers and doctors include Bahraini experts who can support monitoring and follow-up.

Kadhem said cases involving so-called “paper” qualifications and forged certificates have been recorded in several sensitive sectors, including law, healthcare, education and engineering, with a number of cases referred to the Public Prosecution. He further warned that social media has contributed to the spread of unrecognised titles, while in some densely populated countries certificate forgery is reportedly offered for small sums to individuals seeking work overseas.