Parliament scraps max expat numbers in law
The committee also decided that the figures should be made public twice a year.
By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
The Parliament on Monday passed an amendment to the Employment Act to remove the 100,000 person limit set by law to bring in foreign workers from one country.
The Security Services Committee, which examined the bill introduced by the government's PNC MP Mohamed Dawoodh in Parliament late last month, voted on the report of the bill.
The bill was passed by 65 votes in favour. 10 members of the opposition MDP voted against.
The number of foreigners that can be brought in from one country is now specifically determined by law. That’s a maximum of 100,000 people. However, the amendment has been proposed to fix the amount by a regulation made under the act instead of fixing it in law. The amendment states:
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The rules may specify the number and areas of foreigners that can be brought in during the year and the maximum number and areas of foreigners that can be brought in from a single country
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In so doing, different criteria may be set for different categories based on the type of industries and occupations and skill levels
When the bill was introduced, the rules left it optional to determine the number of foreigners that could be brought in. However, the provisions of the bill included it as a requirement at the committee stage. The committee also decided that the figures should be made public twice a year.
When the numbers of foreigners are redetermined under the regulation, an assessment should be conducted to determine the impact of expatriates on the workforce. These matters shall be done on the advice of the Cabinet.
