More official measures in Bahrain which discriminate against expatriates
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights:
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is disappointed and concerned by a newly implemented policy which bans foreign students and expatriates
More official measures in Bahrain which discriminate against expatriates
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights:
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is disappointed and concerned by a newly implemented policy which bans foreign students and expatriates
working in ‘menial’ jobs from being eligible for drivers licenses.This policy has been described by officials from the General Directorate of Traffic as a measure to ease congestion on the roads. It follows the passing of legislation by the House in April this year which proposes removing expatriate bachelor labourers from Bahraini communities by housing them in segregated industrial areas.
“Instead of taking practical measures to ease congestion – such as investigating a public transport system and encouraging better road practices such as car pooling – we are extremely disappointed to see that our government has chosen once again to target the most vulnerable communities of people in Bahrain,” BCHR vice president Nabeel Rajab said.
“Practicing and promoting discrimination through legislation and policies should not be the behaviour of a country which sits on the
United Nations Human Rights Council,” he added. “This measure is an ‘easy way out’ of a problem which the government needs to give serious consideration too – especially because of the high number of development and construction projects in the country.
“We have seen time and again that the government takes a free hand in violating the rights of expatriate workers because they are the most
vulnerable and least able to defend their rights.”
The BCHR calls on the Bahraini government to revoke this policy as well as the law banning expatriate bachelors from residential areas.
We call on the government to put and end to discriminatory and divisive policies which serve only to further tensions between various
communities living in Bahrain, which historically have lived in an integrated and peaceful manner.
We demand and end to the attacks on the rights of migrant workers, who suffer from lacking legal protection as well as social and official discrimination.