Expats caught in visa racket in Bahrain

Many expatriate workers, including Indians, are stranded in Bahrain and unable to work because of alleged abuse of the sponsorship system by the employers.

Many expatriate workers, including Indians, are stranded in Bahrain and unable to work because of alleged abuse of the sponsorship system by the employers.

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Some companies are getting the visa of their employees automatically renewed, even if their contracts had expired and they had resigned after completing paperwork, Migrant Workers' Protection Society (MWPS) committee head Marietta Dias said.

"In the most recent case, it took an Indian salesman from Chennai around seven months to leave the country following negotiations between the MWPS and immigration authorities," she said.

The salesman had completed his contract and wanted to return home, but was left stranded after his sponsor renewed his visa.