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Withholding workers’ passport is illegal: Bahrain

MANAMA — Bahrain has warned employers that withholding of passports of foreign workers is illegal under the labour law.

Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) Undersecretary Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said on Sunday that the withholding of foreign workers’ passports on the pretext of protecting employers’ rights, claiming they might run away or leave the country without their knowledge, was not a civil way to tackle the issue as the passport was an owner’s personal document and belonged to the country that issued it.
He said the employers should protect their rights through clear contracts that safeguard the rights of both parties. The likelihood of a worker running away without an employer’s knowledge could be sorted out in coordination with the NPRA, he said.
Director of Search and Follow-up Colonel Ghazi Saleh Sinan said that withholding of foreign workers’ passports by their employers won’t help.
He said the withholding of passports was also illegal, unless there were court orders. He said if an employer refuses to hand over a worker’s passport, the issue should be tackled through a court by filing a legal case and thereafter respecting the court ruling.
shamada@khaleejtimes.com

• Bahrain