Manama Municipal Council’s Majeed Milad yesterday attributed the problem to the government’s "bad planning and lenient approach".
"Manama has the poorest public services in Bahrain as the neighbourhoods are famous for their narrow and old roads and when labourers started to move in, many Bahrainis were forced to shift to better locations."
According to recent official statistics, one block houses 14,000 expatriates and only 4,000 Bahrainis.
"Expatriates are causing many problems in Manama, such as increase in suicide cases, prostitution and illegal selling and manufacturing of alcohol," he said.
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He highlighted the dangers of the poor safety measures at labour accommodation that put the lives of labourers and other residents in danger.
Milad and his colleagues are pushing for the introduction of an order banning sponsors from allocating accommodation for labourers in residential areas in Manama.
Milad said that the decision would be implemented in stages. Under the proposal, the minimum requirement per person is 12 square metres, and there should be a bathroom and toilet for five residents occupying a room.
The proposed order bans non-Bahraini bachelors, including GCC citizens, from renting flats in buildings housing families or residential areas. According to the order, there would be separate buildings for families and bachelors, and that would be monitored through electricity bills. Those violating the rules would not get power supply.
