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Bahrain 'as bad for migrants' as other Gulf states

BAHRAIN treats migrant workers as badly as other Gulf states despite its superior labour law, human rights watchdogs warned on Tuesday.

It is the only country in the region that allows migrant workers to join trade unions. It also allows migrant workers to change jobs while in the country.

However, Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain director Husain Abdulla said that the law was rarely implemented and that employers found ways to punish workers who wanted to quit by withholding their salaries and passports.

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