Oman

The Ministry of Manpower announced an extension of the December 2009 amnesty for illegal foreign workers until end-March. The decision will allow an estimated 125,000-200,000 (out of a total expatriate population of around 1mn) of mostly South Asian expatriates to leave the country without facing fines. Amendments to the labour law in 2009 aimed at preventing casual labourers from working for more than one employer has led to the arrest of scores of casual and illegal workers and the departure of many more. The clamp down comes against the backdrop of an ongoing Omanisation programme, whereby the government seeks to

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