A debate on the cost/benefit of the so-called sponsorship system has been raging in the region since Bahrain decided last year to scrap the system altogether.
There are those who feel the system is outdated and susceptible to various forms of abuse and exploitation of the sponsored workers. Others, however, argue that it provides a protective legal and social umbrella to the expatriate worker.
The UAE Minister of Labour Saqr Gobash Saeed Gobash was very clear on Tuesday when he stressed, during a workshop on the issue, that the system is not going to be scrapped.
In all countries, he explained, there is some form of sponsorship scheme for foreign workers. In the UAE, he acknowledged, the system has been abused "here and there".
But this is not a valid reason to abolish the system alltogether.
What is required is a thorough and careful look at the various aspects of the system in order to figure out ways of improving its efficiency and eliminate all the legal loopholes that are being used by some employers to usurp the legal and human rights of their workers.
Tuesday's workshop, held in collaboration between the Ministry of Labour and the Dubai Economic Council is a step in the right direction towards that goal. And it should be followed up with other initiatives to enhance the system and protect both the rights of workers and sponsors. And most importantly to safeguard the higher interests of the nation.
Those who argue in favour of a Bahraini-style policy must not forget that systems should be relative to the characteristics of a society. Any system one adopts cannot be successful unless it answers the need of that society. Involving the private sector in this debate will help the government figure out the system applicable to the UAE. This is why the Tuesday workshop was significant.