Focus on Flexible Work Permit

Manama : The CEO of Bahrain’s Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and Chairman of the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Persons, Ausamah Alabsi, this week participated in the ESCAP Regional Preparatory Meeting for Global Compact on Migration held in Bangkok.

The event was organised by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Bahrain was invited to participate in the event following the introduction of the Flexible Work Permit (FWP) - a ground-breaking new programme in the region designed to boost the Kingdom’s private sector while ensuring concrete protections for expatriate workers in the Kingdom.

The FWP will enable expatriates who meet certain conditions to work and reside in the Kingdom of Bahrain without a sponsor in any job, full or part-time, and with more than one employer, for a renewable two-year period. 

The ESCAP Regional Preparatory Meeting also included a special forum during which the LMRA’s CEO outlined key advantages of the FWP system. Several international representatives attended the forum, including the Regional Coordinator for the Migrant Forum in Asia, senior labour migration specialists at the International Organisation for Migration, as well as the Undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Migrant Workers Affairs in the Philippines.

Speaking on the occasion, the LMRA’s CEO highlighted Bahrain’s commitment to international best practices that facilitate opportunities for businesses and workers in equal measure.

The CEO noted that international collaboration is central to the development of innovative labour market practises, highlighting that the UN has cited Bahrain’s FWP as one of a number of successful international programmes which informed the Global Compact on Migration (to be adopted following the 2018 International Migration Conference).

The CEO concluded by stressing that international recognition of the FWP reflects Bahrain’s long-standing commitment to increasing its international and regional competitiveness through modern and effective regulatory frameworks.

He went on to say that the LMRA will continue to work hard to safeguard the rights of expatriate workers in the Kingdom and to strengthen partnerships with international organisations.