“Any new decision should consider its impact and have mercy on all stakeholders.”

He suggested alternative solutions could be in the interests of all parties.

“We have to be considerate because we are dealing with human beings, not machines,” he added.

“Another option is to be flexible in the rules, allowing expats to pay a nominal fee to sponsor their families – or provide some sort of bank guarantee that reflects their financial position.”

Bahrain India Society chairman Mohammed Dadabhai agreed that exemptions should be made on humanitarian grounds.

He also proposed allowing dependants to work once they are in Bahrain, enabling the family unit to generate additional legitimate income.

“I think preference should be given on humanitarian grounds in this situation,” he said.

“Even families who arrive on dependants’ visas should be allowed to work.

Improve

“I would also like to see expats work hard and raise their profile, so they earn at least BD400 – this will help improve their standard of living.”

General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) assistant secretary for international relations, Karim Radhi, urged authorities to put workers’ welfare first.

“We always talk about foreign remittances and blame workers for sending money abroad, draining our national wealth,” said Mr Radhi.

“But when it comes to workers being with their families, we put obstacles in their way.”

Expats account for more than half of Bahrain’s population, with figures released last November putting the figure at 823,000 expatriates (55 per cent), compared with 677,000 Bahrainis.

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