Bahrain, like many Gulf countries, is home to a large number of migrant workers. They make up about three-quarters of the country’s workforce and are mostly employed in sectors such as agriculture and construction. However, in order to live and work in the country, foreign workers need sponsorship. This sponsorship, known as kafala, places them within a system in which they are inextricably linked to their employer, who controls them in a system of modern slavery.
Recently, the Bahraini authorities have begun to carry out a large number of deportations of workers deemed to be “illegal”. Without sponsorship from their employer, migrant workers lose their resident status and can therefore be removed from the country. However, the procedures involved are not always clear. In addition, the number of people deported from Bahrain in recent times is increasing, raising serious concerns about the conditions faced by migrant workers in the country.
Between 23 March and 1 February 2025, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) conducted 1,755 inspections across the country. The ostensible aim was to verify that many migrant workers were complying with the rules that allow them to be in the country. This first wave of checks led to the arrest of 22 illegal workers and the deportation of 87 of them.
However, the March figures are still low compared to the latest figures reported by the LMRA. Between 29 June and 12 July, 1,167 new inspections were carried out, leading to the arrest of 19 illegal workers and the deportation of 242 of them. Taking into account last year’s figures, over the past two years in Bahrain, 82,941 inspections have been carried out, leading to the identification of 3,245 illegal workers and the deportation of 9,873 migrant workers.
The truth behind these constant deportations is not just about enforcing the law. Bahrain is making it increasingly difficult for foreign workers to enter the country. Anyone wishing to travel to the country to work must already have the appropriate permits. However, this measure serves to reduce the number of foreign workers and give Bahraini citizens more job opportunities. The population of Bahrain has reached 1,588,670. Of these, 739,736 are actually Bahraini, while 848,934 are not.
The ongoing deportations taking place in Bahrain, therefore, represent a serious problem for all foreign workers in the country. The latter, in fact, already find themselves in a situation of insubordination. The kafala system represents for them a real subjugation to employers who abuse their rights. In addition to this, they are also denied certain protections that should be fundamental to employment. Limits on working hours, paid sick leave and rest days are just some of these.
The increasingly frequent deportations are therefore nothing more than a further illustration of the lack of protection afforded to migrant workers in Bahrain. The country’s authorities are taking advantage of the borderline conditions in which these workers live and are carrying out operations that are often unclear and against which foreign workers have no means of appeal. However, it is necessary to continue to talk about these cases to demonstrate that these are not operations through which Bahrain enforces the law, but through which it takes advantage of the hardships of the weakest for its own gain.