The Gulf state of Bahrain - where foreigners form over half the population - can offer a model for immigration, the country's new ambassador to Italy, Ausama Alabsi, told Andkronos news agency during a visit to its headquarters in Rome.
Alabsi over the past 20 years oversaw the design and enactment of immigration policies in Bahrain "where 53% of the population is foreign," and was instrumental in setting up its Labour Market Regulatory Authority after a two-year consultation phase in 2004-2006, he said.
The pioneering LMRA is an "inclusive" public body with a board of directors made up of economists, representatives of chambers of commerce, trade unions, and the government, Alabsi explained.
“In this way we create a constant dialogue between all stakeholders who have an interest in an orderly, smooth and efficient migration process. Migration is used as a political tool, but it is actually a social and economic fact, and should be approached as such," he said.
Bahrain has "created an integrated and efficient system that is capable of adapting to a context that changes every year, and which works much more quickly than bureaucratic processes," he said.
"Migration laws often take years to be passed, and perhaps by that time they no longer reflect the reality and needs of the economy," Alabsi underlined.
The LMRA not only sets policy but also enforces it - "an element of its uniqueness" - said Alabsi. He was the LMRA's managing director for some 10 years, during which period various other countries in the region copied the model, he noted.
"It (the LMRA) manages permits, border procedures, and workplace inspections, determines how many migrants can enter and with what job qualifications," he said.
Businesses demand migrants, but citizens fear losing jobs and see them as a threat to local culture, Alabsi said. The goal is to achieve a balance that can satisfy everyone without penalizing anyone.”
When the LMRA kicked off, there was 17.5% unemployment in Bahrain but three years later, joblessness had come down to 4%, Alabsi said.
