AMNESTY. Philippine ambassador to Bahrain Alfonso explains the guidelines of the Amnesty program. Photo by the Department of Foreign Affairs

MANILA, Philippines – Reminder: Filipinos working in Bahrain without proper documents and authorization only have until December 31, 2015, to apply for amnesty.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that about 1,000 undocumented Filipinos have already applied for amnesty in Bahrain.

The amnesty program, implemented under Bahrain’s Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) on July 1, allows overstaying workers to return to their home country without being penalized and blacklisted, and with the option to return. It gives workers a chance to gain legal status and transfer employment without the consent of their original sponsors.

A majority of the 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.

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.

Information is available in English and Filipino. For more information, contact the Philippine embassy in Manama. – Rappler.com