Manama: Bahrain could become the first country in the region to enter a partnership that ensures ethical recruitment of expatriates.
The idea is to set up a network of trustworthy recruitment agencies through an International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS), which would supply foreign manpower based on legitimate contracts without imposing inflated fees.
Talks are now taking place between the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which is behind the idea.
The IRIS concept will be the focus of a conference in Bahrain in November and an official partnership could be signed on the sidelines of the event, according to IOM’s Cairo-based regional migrant assistance specialist and migration and development specialist Michael Newson.
“Bahrain’s LMRA has been particularly receptive towards the project, making it the first country in the region, while the IOM is in close co-ordination with other countries as well,” Mr Newson told the GDN yesterday.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the first annual Global Employers Summit, which kicked off yesterday at the Gulf Hotel’s Gulf Convention Centre under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier.
The two-day event is organised by the International Organisation of Employers and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).
“IRIS, developed in co-operation with the International Organisation of Employers and other partners, focuses on a voluntary network of like-minded ethical recruitment agents both in countries of origin and destination,” said Mr Newson.
“IRIS will also be responsible for auditing these companies to make sure that they are engaging in activities and values that the IRIS upholds.
“These include not charging recruitment fees on both employers and workers and to ensure that contract conditions are clear to the workers before they sign the agreements.
“These add value for the workers by ensuring that they are going through an ethical process, ruling out abuses, and for the employers by making sure of an ethical labour supply chain – for often they are engaged in a process that they might not even know their workers are abused during hiring.”
Many foreign workers pay inflated fees in exchange for employment visas in Bahrain, but without any guarantee of a job on arrival – meaning they become illegal residents when they arrive.
Others are promised certain jobs that match their skills, but find out they have actually been hired as labourers or for other positions that they have no experience in.
Often the salaries they are paid and conditions of work are also not what they expected.
IRIS, initially funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation, is currently working with a number of recruitment agencies to pilot the initiative in Canada.
“In this region, we have initiated discussions with the LMRA in Bahrain, while there is generally a warm reception in other Gulf nations as well,” said Mr Newson.
“The initial discussions were held in Geneva last year in March, followed by our meeting with the LMRA in June where we discussed on the collaboration.”
He described the IRIS initiative as “critical” for the region.
“It is critical with the initiative getting more attention, not just internationally but also domestically or regionally, with employers having finally started understanding how existing networks are operating,” he said.
“These networks are very opaque and unclear to employers or workers as to how the system actually operates, which allows unethical practices to happen in the system of recruitment agents.
“As employers become more aware of the actual practices that are happening transnationally in countries of origin and destination, and being more concerned about their employees and their companies involvement in the process, it is vital to support them.”
raji@gdn.com.bh
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