Bill to Fine Passport Seizures Put on Hold

Parliament referred a government-backed draft law on domestic workers back to the Services Committee for further review, delaying a vote on key provisions related to employers retaining passports.

The decision came after the government requested additional study of the bill, which proposes amendments to Bahrain’s Private Sector Labour Law, including replacing the term “house servants” with “domestic workers.”

The draft legislation introduces penalties ranging from BD200 to BD500 for employers who retain a worker’s passport or identity documents without consent. It also allows the Cabinet to regulate the employment relationship between families and domestic workers.

The Labour Ministry and the Labour Market Regulatory Authority said the reforms aim to strengthen legal protections for domestic workers and provide clearer mechanisms for resolving disputes between employers and employees. They added that future regulations could channel such cases through the Labour Ministry’s labour dispute system while respecting household privacy.

Under the proposed law, employers would be required to issue receipts for any documents or belongings entrusted to them and return them upon request.

The bill also expands the legal definition under Article 2 to include domestic roles such as gardeners, drivers, nannies, cooks, and security guards under Cabinet-issued regulations.

However, the Services Committee recommended rejecting the proposal, arguing that existing labour legislation already covers domestic workers through around 56 provisions addressing contracts, wages, leave, end-of-service benefits, and dispute resolution. It also cited a 2012 Court of Cassation ruling stating that passports are personal documents that cannot be withheld in a way that restricts movement except under lawful authority.

The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry called for further review, saying existing laws and LMRA procedures already address passport-related disputes.