29 June 2015 – The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) of Bahrain has announced that a general amnesty for illegal foreign workers in Bahrain will commence on July 01.

The Amnesty period will run for six months, from July 01 until December 31, and will cover foreign workers who are overstaying or are considered runaway cases.

Illegal/undocumented foreign workers in Bahrain who face police/criminal cases or travel ban cases are not eligible under the Amnesty Program.

Under the Amnesty Program, illegal/undocumented foreign workers in Bahrain may avail of the following options:

(1)       Leave Bahrain without paying any immigration penalties/fines and with the possibility of return at any time regardless of legal status (no blacklisting); or

(2)       Legalize their employment status in Bahrain with a new employer without the consent of the previous employer, and subject to certain conditions.

The Philippine Embassy in Manama is coordinating with the LMRA on the implementation details of the Amnesty Program and has began disseminating initial information to the Filipino community in Bahrain, and will update them accordingly.

In the meantime, qualified Filipinos wishing to avail of the amnesty program are advised to be ready with copies of their passports and Central Population Registry (CPR) cards, which are necessary for purposes of immigration status check.

There are no fees involved in availing of the Amnesty Program.  Filipinos in the kingdom are warned against unscrupulous persons posing as agents or middlemen and charging fees for this purpose.

Filipinos qualified and wishing to avail of the amnesty program may come to the Philippines Embassy or call the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) at (973) 3995-3235 or POLO  at (973) 1774-0951, for information or assistance.

They may also visit the LMRA website at www.lmra.bh or call the LMRA at (973) 1750-6055, for more information. END