Weeks after suspending the entry of passengers from India and other nations on account of the COVID-19 situation, the Bahrain government has announced temporary suspension of issuance of new work permits to citizens from countries on its 'red list'. Countries on the red list have high incidence of COVID-19.
The countries on Bahrain's red list currently are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Vietnam. Vietnam was added to the list on June 1.
The Daily Tribune, a news outlet in Bahrain, said the decision to suspend issuance of work permits was based on the directives of a national taskforce to combat coronavirus. Bahrain had suspended entry of passengers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal from May 24, with exceptions only for its citizens and valid visa holders. Such exempted passengers are required to undergo quarantine for 10 days after arrival.
A representative of Bahrain's Labour Market Regulatory Authority told The National, a UAE-based outlet, "For the time being, individuals who are in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal are not able to gain work permits in Bahrain... The decision was put in place on May 24, and we are still unsure of when it will be lifted." The representative added that expatriates from red list states who were inside Bahrain could apply for new work permits or renew existing ones.
On June 12, Bahrain reported 931 new COVID-19 cases.
The suspension of work permits, even if temporary, could hit Indian visa aspirants hard. According to the website of the Indian embassy in Bahrain, Indian comprise the largest expatriate community in Bahrain. Of the approximately 650,000 expatriates in Bahrain, around 350,000 are Indians. "Majority of Indian community members are from Kerala (about 200,000), followed by Tamil Nadu (about 50,000) and rest from Maharashtra, Goa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan," the Indian embassy claimed.
"Today over 65 per cent of the Indian expatriate workforce is employed in the construction, contracting and maintenance sectors. There is also a relatively small number of Indian housemaids estimated at around 12,000-15,000 coming mostly from Andhra Pradesh/Telangana. In addition to the predominant blue-collar labour force, there are a sizeable number of doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, bankers, managers and other professionals," the Indian embassy stated.
