More than 70 per cent of expatriate workers, mostly from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, borrowed money or sold property in their native countries to secure a job in
Bahrain, said a study.

Only 30 per cent of them believe their dream has been fulfilled while 47 per cent think they have achieved a costly but worthy objective and 23 per cent realised it was just an illusion, according to a survey conducted by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority
(LMRA).

Low salaries back home was the main reason for coming to Bahrain for 68 per cent and 89 per cent said they were unaware of regulations and procedures related to their recruitment when they came.

Among those surveyed, 90 per cent had no idea about residence and work permit
requirements, LMRA said.

The number of free visa workers over the past four decades was estimated at 41,000, representing 10 per cent of the total expatriate workforce in Bahrain.

Statistics showed that the total local and foreign workforce reached 603,482 in the fourth quarter of last year compared with 600,143 in the third quarter of the same year, of which 466,950 were expatriates. – TradeArabia News Service