Embassies in Bahrain have been contacting their citizens with advisory on the security situation in the country.

Advice has ranged from urging citizens to consider returning to their countries to explaining that the security situation was becoming safer.

The advisory on the Indian Embassy's website https://www.indianembassybahrain.com is for its citizens "to avoid crowded places and cut out all non-essential movements within the city".

The Philippines Embassy announced in a statement that the government had not given orders for the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos in Bahrain.

However, it advised them to go on voluntary repatriation at their own or their employers' expense if they feel their safety is at risk.

"The employers are obliged to affect their worker's repatriation in case of force majeure, including civil unrest that would require repatriation to the home country," added the statement.

"This under the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration verified employment contracts signed between the Filipino workers and their employers."

The US Embassy's travel advisory on its website https://bahrain.usembassy.gov urged its citizens to defer travel to Bahrain at this time.

"US citizens currently in Bahrain should consider departing," stated the advisory. "On March 14, 2011, the Department of State authorised the voluntary departure from Bahrain of eligible family members of US Embassy staff. This travel warning replaces the travel alert dated February 18, 2011."

The advisory also urges US citizens to remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security.

"The US Department of State strongly urges US citizens to avoid all demonstrations, as even peaceful ones can quickly become unruly and a foreigner could become a target of harassment or worse," it said.

Japan Embassy spokesman said over the past month almost 50 Japanese residents had returned to their native countries, but almost 150 had chosen to remain in Bahrain.

He said those returning were mainly dependents but several Japanese employees in Bahrain were also planning to return home in the next few days.

"We are recommending them to stay in the house or return home, but at this present moment we are not thinking of putting on a charter flight," said the spokesman.

A Pakistan Embassy spokesman said their citizens living in downtown Manama had been given the option to shelter at the Pakistan Club in Manama or at the Pakistan School in Isa Town.

"We advise them to shift to safe areas, we are not telling them to go home, if people leave they are going on their own terms," he said.

A Russian Embassy spokesman said it wasn't giving any special advisory to its citizens, except to stay vigilant about their own safety or stay at home.

"We don't think the situation in Bahrain is critical and now it's safe," he said.

A French Embassy spokesman said that it had been telling its citizens that the security situation was becoming safer.

"We sent them an SMS telling them there are road controls and to be careful, the airport is accessible," he said.  - TradeArabia News Service