H E Abdullah bin Nasser Abdullah Al Bakri, Minister of Manpower, said there is a coordination between concerned authorities to negotiate with countries on the expulsion of illegal migrant workers and once the consensus has been reached, measures will be taken to deport them.

In a virtual press conference on Thursday, HE Bakri said, “We are always active in catching illegal workers and during this time, we are in contact with all concerned authorities to see when and how they can be deported back to their countries,” he said.

On the impact of COVID-19 to the labour force, HE Bakri said, “Companies should try to keep themselves afloat in such situations. Both employees and employers should cooperate. Before salary cuts, companies affected with COVID-19 crisis need to show proof,” he said.

He said that expatriate employees can be transferred to another company if both the companies agree. “The workers cannot change jobs themselves. It has to be agreed between the companies only,” he said.