New rules 'back to square' one say expats

Expatriate residents said the new law allowing all workers to transfer their sponsorship takes some back to "square one", but it is good news for unskilled labourers.

Mohammad Idrees, a Pakistani sales executive, said: "It is back to square one. There is no change in the policy, as no employer will release their employees to work for a competitor.

"The difference is only that some categories of workers have been allowed to transfer employment. However, it is good news for labourers to change jobs. They were not previously allowed to change jobs."

Another resident, M.P. Jacob, an Indian accountant, said: "Say I get a better offer and there is no restriction from the government for me to switch the job under certain conditions, but my current sponsor does not approve this, what I'm let with is to quit the job, which means I have to leave the country with a six month ban.

"There is no big change. The government has lifted restrictions but has left the workers at the mercy of their sponsors."

Mohsen Ali, an Iranian employee of a private company, said: "It is a good news for the labourers and employees of private companies that cannot afford them any more. They can at least hunt for jobs, as there is no problem both from the government and their sponsors.

"There are lots of companies that have asked their workers to find alternate jobs, but workers could not due to the government restrictions. Now these workers at least search for jobs and find one."

P.S. Mohammad, an Indian watchman, who has recently lost his job and his free to find a job, was at least one person who was happy with the new rule.

He said: "I have lost my job, but could not go hunting for another due to the restriction. It is good news for people like us whose sponsors have no problem in us changing sponsorship. Now I can search for a job ask for a transfer letter from my employers."