Filipinos in Bahrain Apply for Amnesty

The Philippine Embassy in Manama reported that close to 1,000 Filipino illegal/overstaying workers have already come to avail of the amnesty offer of the Bahrain government which took effect on July 01.

The amnesty program of the government through the Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) allows illegal/overstaying workers to be repatriated without payment of immigration penalties and blacklisting, and with the option to return. It also provides a chance for illegal workers to legalize their status and transfer employment without the consent of their original sponsors.

Most of those who availed of the amnesty offer were Filipino women deployed as household service workers (HSWs). They have indicated their intention to legalize their status and transfer employment to new sponsors. Only a few want to be repatriated, citing the need for a steady source of income.

Majority of those who would like to stay do not have their passports with them, as these were either lost or in the possession of their employers or Bahrain agencies. Others lack the proper documentation papers for the issuance of passports or travel documents and have neither Bahrain nor Philippine government-issued identification documents.

To enable these workers to benefit from the amnesty, the Embassy has been conducting daily briefings on the LMRA guidelines, assistance in the verification of the workers’ immigration status, and in the renewal/issuance of passport or travel document.

The Embassy continues to collaborate with the LMRA on the translation to Filipino language of the LMRA Guide on the amnesty requirements and procedures, for distribution to concerned parties. Through POLO-OWWA, the Embassy has been assisting in the retrieval of workers’ passports from employers and agencies.

Volunteers from the Filipino community also continue to assist the Embassy in spreading news about the amnesty, in attending to the needs of the amnesty applicants who go to the Embassy for passport services, and in providing other support services.

The Embassy has geared up to meet the expected surge of amnesty applicants, setting up additional supplies, tents and fans with mist sprayers, and emergency equipment.

Source: www.dfa.gov.ph