"Bahrain launches new Labour Registration Program to replace Flex-Permit," 12 Dec 2022

As part of the country’s recent labour reforms, Bahrain's Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) has officially launched its new “Labour Registration Program” effective 4 December 2022. According to the LMRA, the new initiative will replace the contentious Flexi-Permit programme, which was cancelled at the end of October this year. 

The LMRA will appoint accredited private companies as labour registration centres where migrant workers can apply for a “vocational work permit”. The centres are required to electronically register and update workers' data on a regular basis, including personal information, bank account information, and authorised professional activities. The data is then sent to the LMRA for approval...

The only workers allowed to apply for the vocational work permit are former Flexi-Permit holders and “irregular” workers whose permits have expired or were terminated by the employer. However, unlike the Flexi-Permit scheme which was available to all undocumented workers, only workers who became irregular before the new permit’s decision on 27 October are allowed to apply. By the time the decision went into effect, it was estimated that there were between 90,000 and 110,000 migrants in Bahrain with irregular status, who would theoretically be eligible for the scheme. 

But contrary to the new initiative's efforts to regularise the status of irregular migrants, the Bahraini government has also stepped up arrest and deportation campaigns of irregular migrants in the country in the past week...

Previously, the LMRA was responsible for verifying and processing the applications for Flexi-Permit workers, the new initiative will designate that task to the private sector.