Six year expat rule bad for the GCC

The country's Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi, who is backing the move, claims that the influx of expats is damaging local culture and customs and causing unemployment among nationals.

Such a rule though would be hugely damaging to the economies of the GCC. It's easy to claim that immigrants damage a nation. It's the oft-heard cry of racists around the world. But the evidence to back such claims doesn't exist.

Life blood of the nation

The government of any developed nation should understand that controlled immigration is the life-blood of the nation. Immigrants bring new skills, a different attitude and often a willingness to work. Countries such as the UK and the US have embraced new races over the years - not without pockets of resistance admittedly - and over time those peoples have been accepted and assimilated.

The six-year rule would hit the very people that countries should be looking to keep - those that are committed to a country. Usually, if a person stays in a foreign country for that length of time it means they want to be part of its culture and respect its local customs (sure, there are always exceptions). To kick them out would be to dump the very outsiders that will help enhance the economy.

For regions such as Dubai, which is 85 per cent expat, such a rule could spell disaster for its economy. Companies would find that the transient flow of the nation would intensify through such forced repatriation. Businesses that had invested time and money into finding and nurturing talented employees would suddenly find that after six years they would be booted out. While it is very rare that employees are not replaceable, it's a huge pain to have to continually replace loyal staff because of a six-year rule.

In extreme cases, it would force some companies out and certainly dissuade others from setting up in the first place, particularly when other near-by developing nations are fighting for attention and inward investment.

Controlled immigration and education

Many of the people moving to GCC countries leave before six years anyway, but if the Bahraini government feels that its national identity is being eroded then it should look to form a policy of controlled immigration.

If it thinks that its nationals are being beaten to the best jobs, then look at the education system, and put in place a long-term plan that tackles the lack of internal talent that is influencing companies to look outside its borders for staff.

For a region like Dubai, which already suffers from crippling rental costs, the adoption of a six year rule would leave companies thinking carefully about their commitment to the emirate. It has ambitions to be not just a Middle East hub, but a world hub, and a 'not welcome here' policy would damage that ambition.

The GCC would do well to never let such a rule leave the drawing board - and the fact that this isn't the first time it has been raised hopefully will mean that it will be swiftly rejected.