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Viewing cable 08MANAMA613, ANDHRA PRADESH LABORERS IN BAHRAIN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08MANAMA613 2008-09-11 13:20 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Manama
VZCZCXRO0642
RR RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHMK #0613 2551320
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111320Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8123
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0293
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0427
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 0028
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
UNCLAS MANAMA 000613 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA AND G/TIP 
BAGHDAD FOR AMBASSADOR ERELI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP ELAB KMIG IN BA
SUBJECT: ANDHRA PRADESH LABORERS IN BAHRAIN 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Most of the trafficked laborers in Bahrain 
come from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, according to an 
anti-trafficking activist.  She said the efforts of Bahrain's 
new labor authority and source country embassies to blacklist 
abusive recruitment firms is working.  End summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Ms. Mehru Vesuvala, the Secretary General of 
Bahrain's Migrant Workers' Protection Society (MWPS) told 
poloff on August 28 that the situation for migrant workers in 
Bahrain has been improving over the last few years.  In her 
opinion, the local embassies of the Philippines, India, and 
Indonesia were doing the best job protecting their laborers. 
She complimented the GOB's efforts, specifically the Labor 
Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), but questioned whether 
the GOB was motivated by a moral commitment to combating 
trafficking, or by international pressure. 
 
3. (SBU) According to Vesuvala, MWPS had determined that most 
of Bahrain's trafficked laborers come from the Indian state 
Andhra Pradesh (AP), and specifically from three AP districts 
- East Godavari, Nizamabad, and Karimnagar.  She guessed that 
there are between 20,000 and 30,000 AP workers here.  (Note: 
There are about 500,000 non-Bahrainis here, roughly half the 
population.  End note.)  Vesuvala said that although media 
stringers in the Gulf file stories on trafficking in a number 
of Indian languages, MWPS had not seen any in Telugu, the 
chief language of AP.  She claimed that although other Indian 
states have used the media proactively to increase awareness 
of overseas labor issues, AP has not. 
 
4. (SBU) Vesuvala said there were significantly fewer 
recruiting agencies in Bahrain than there were three years 
ago, and attributed this to local embassies blacklisting 
agencies that circumvented source country emigration laws. 
Vesuvala said that Indian exit controls prohibit uneducated 
workers from leaving India without a visa, but recruiters 
often provide a Non-Objection Certificate as "employers" in 
the Gulf that enable laborers and maids to bypass these 
controls.  The Indian embassy has blacklisted those 
recruiting agencies that participate in similar practices. 
The Indian government, and particularly the Indian Ambassador 
to Bahrain, Balkrishna Shetty, has cooperated with MWPS.  An 
Undersecretary from the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs 
visited Bahrain at the end of August, 2008, and met with MWPS 
officials. 
 
5. (SBU) MWPS has hosted fundraisers every May from 2005 to 
2007.  MWPS raised nearly USD 80,000 at the 2007 event, 
despite only having gotten approval for the event from the 
Ministry of Social Development three days prior.  MWPS chose 
not to hold a fundraiser in 2008, but applied for, and 
received, a grant from the Ministry of Social Development 
totaling USD 6,000.  MWPS also obtained funding from the 
Indian embassy to operate its shelter, and from the 
Solidarity Center, which offered to pay for a website and 
website maintenance. 
 
6. (SBU) Vesuvala acknowledged that the language barrier 
presents a formidable challenge to many migrant laborers in 
Bahrain, and to MWPS as well.  All court proceedings take 
place in Arabic.  Migrants generally don't speak Arabic, and 
few have a working knowledge of English.  MWPS has only three 
Arabic-speaking members.  Vesuvala said that the organization 
hopes to begin working with local lawyers to provide legal 
advocacy and advice for migrant laborers as soon as October. 
 
********************************************* ******** 
Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ 
********************************************* ******** 
HENZEL