The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) announced on Saturday, June 27, 2015 that an amnesty period will commence on July 1, 2015 for six months.
The amnesty is aimed at allowing illegal workers either to legalise their presence in Bahrain through obtaining legal employment or by leaving back to their countries without penalties or blacklisting.
The amnesty will also allow all workers who choose to leave Bahrain during the amnesty period to return in future to Bahrain without obstacles.
The LMRA Chief Executive Officer, Ausamah Alabsi said that the amnesty has been offered to all those who may have found themselves on the wrong side of the law to rectify their situation without having to pay penalties or face legal procedures.
He added that the LMRA had aimed at removing as many people as possible from this vulnerable position of being illegal and subject to exploitation, and give them the opportunity of a new beginning without financial or legal costs.
Mr. Alabsi also stressed that there will be no penalty fees and therefore no worker should pay anyone for this service, stating that it was illegal to collect money from workers for the services offered by the amnesty either by employers or middlemen.
During the amnesty period, those who were absent from work (runaway), terminated (overstay), absent after termination (runaway after termination) and non-renewed (overstay) workers will be eligible to avail the benefits of amnesty.
They could avail the amnesty benefits by leaving Bahrain without penalty fines and with the possibility of returning at any time regardless of legal status (no blacklisting) or by getting legal employment with a new employer without the consent of the previous employer and with removal of any offences that currently exist.
To get amnesty benefits to leave Bahrain withoutpenalties and without blacklisting, the employee needs to simply get an extension from the Immigration Authorities (Nationality, Passport and Residence Affairs (NPRA) headquarter only) on his/her passport and travel.
To get legal employment under amnesty, the employee should find a new employer. Later, the new employer should obtain an extension for grace period from NPRA headquarters.
The worker should fill in and sign the Intention to Transfer form and provide it to the new employer. Employer will have to upload it with the employee’s new work permit application submitted online through the LMRA Expatriate Management system. There is no need for the employee to visit the LMRA offices at any point of this process, said LMRA.