Wednesday 16 / July / 2025
Muscat: A radical overhaul of the visa system is required in an effort to legalise labour in the Sultanate, according to an Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) board member.
Raids will not solve the issue of black market workers in Oman, Ahmed Al Hooti, a board member of the OCCI, said. “Conducting raids alone cannot resolve the issue. The entire recruitment practices should be changed.
Get your essential daily briefing delivered direct to your email inbox with our e-newsletter
“There are three main stakeholders letting the black market thrive. One is the employer, second is the employee and the third is the current recruitment system,” Ahmed Al Hooti told the Times of Oman.
“By conducting raids, we may find a solution, but it is temporary. More workers will be coming in if the current system is not changed. Workers here are bringing in their family members and friends by misusing the current system.
Recruitment practice
“Middlemen are involved. Money is involved. It is not a fair recruitment practice,” the OCCI member added.
According to Oman Labour Law Article 114, an expatriate who works in Oman, without a licence from the concerned directorate, or works with any employer other than the employer who obtained a licence to bring him to Oman, shall be punished.
The punishment for the violator is imprisonment for a period not exceeding one month and a fine not exceeding OMR100, either or both, in addition to the cancellation of the licence issued to the employer.
Al Hooti added that the government should step in and control the visa issuing system because both employers selling visas and employees accepting such visas are violating the law.
“Only genuine companies should be issued visas to bring in workers. Government can either set up offices monitored by them constantly or a government to government level recruitment system can be initiated,” he added.
Currently, many of the Asian migrant-sending countries have government level deals with host countries in GCC to have a fair recruitment system.
Recently, Bangladesh had signed a deal with Saudi Arabia and a government to government deal with Malaysia.
A senior official from the Bangladesh embassy told Times of Oman that government-to-government recruitment deals are the best way to have fair recruitment practices and avoid the free visa issue.
“Bangladesh has such deals with South Korea, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. We are keen in initiating a discussion in the coming joint meetings,” the official added.
However, Times of Oman found that there are thousands of ‘free visa’ workers on the streets of Hamriyah in Ruwi from 5am looking for an agent or supervisor to be hired for the day’s job.
The majority of them are aware that they are violating the law and are afraid of being caught, but getting an opportunity to earn extra money by being a ‘free visa worker’ is tempting them to do so.
“If I am with my sponsor, I will get only OMR80 or maximum OMR100. Being a ‘free visa’ worker I can get at least OMR200. If I don’t do so, I won’t be able to pay back my loan I have taken to purchase this ‘free visa’,” Mohammed, a 39-year-old ‘free visa’ worker who is ready to take up any job, said.
In Oman, there is no minimum wage for expatriate workers.
Mohammed Al Farji, a trade union leader in Oman, said imposing a minimum wage may solve the issue.
“If there is a minimum wage system for expatriate workers, then they won’t opt for being a ‘free visa’ worker. We have proposed this to the government many a times. So far, nothing has happened. We hope they will listen to us,” the trade union leader added.
However, Tawfiq Al Lawati, a Majlis Al Shura member, said: “Wage rises won’t resolve the ‘free visa’ issue. “Wage rise don’t have anything to do with the ‘free visa’ issue. If wages are increased, then ‘free visa’ workers will ask for more,” Tawfiq added.
According to ‘free visa’ workers in Hamriyah who stay in cramped accommodation and survive on OMR50 per month, liabilities back home are forcing them to stay back and take the risk.
Tawfiq says that setting up public companies or regional companies monitored by government to carry out recruitment can be one option.
“Up to a level, issuing visas to individuals can be stopped. Government should identify genuine and bogus companies. Employers issuing ‘free visa’ are also breaking the law. They should be penalized,” Tawfiq added.
Over 13,000 expatriate workers, mainly the expatriate workers on ‘free visa’, were arrested during the first eight months of this year. Latest government data confirms that there is an increase in unskilled workers, mainly on ‘free visa’, coming into Oman even though those who arrived are struggling to find a job due to the oil price crisis.
