Amnesty Offer for Filipinos in Bahrain until Dec 31
MANILA: The amnesty deadline for Filipinos working in Bahrain without proper documents and authorization will expire on December 31, 2015, media reports said .
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that about 1,000 undocumented Filipinos have already applied for amnesty in Bahrain, reported Rappler.
The amnesty program, implemented under Bahrain’s Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) on July 1, allows workers who have overstayed to go back home without being penalized and blacklisted, and with the option to return, the report said, adding that it gives workers a chance to gain legal status and transfer employment without the consent of their original sponsors.
A majority of Filipinos who have applied for amnesty were female household service workers, who have indicated their intent to legalize or transfer employment. Very few, however, chose to be repatriated because of the lack of job opportunities at home, said the news portal.
The Philippine Embassy in Manama, Bahrain, has been holding daily briefings on the LMRA guidelines, assistance in the verification of the workers’ immigration status, and in the renewal or issuance of a passport, it was pointed out.
Information is available in English and Filipino. Workers can contact the Philippine embassy in Manama for more information, Rappler reported.