Thousands of leaflets explaining the current amnesty for illegal residents will be distributed in mosques across Bahrain from tomorrow (July 17).

The initiative by the embassies of Pakistan and Bangladesh is targeting eligible Muslim expatriates performing Eid prayers, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

A six-month amnesty during which illegal residents can leave Bahrain without facing any penalties commenced on July 1.

It will remain in place until December 31 and also allows illegal expatriate residents to legalise their stay by securing legitimate employment .

Those who do leave will be able to return in future if they obtain a work permit.

The initiative is targeting expats who either ran away from their employers or overstayed their visas.

More than half of the estimated 61,000 illegal workers in Bahrain are thought to be Bangladeshis, with as many as 37,000-plus currently in the country without the required approvals.

“We went to different iftar gatherings in Ramadan and spoke to Bangladeshi workers who are working illegally in Bahrain to encourage them to return home or find a new employer,” said Bangladesh Embassy labour counsellor Mohammed Islam.

“On a daily basis we are processing more than 100 applications related to the amnesty and expect this number to increase after the Eid Al Fitr holidays.”

Islam said posters and pamphlets in Bengali, the national language of Bangladesh, will be distributed by volunteers in different mosques.

“Our volunteers have handed out pamphlets during Friday prayers explaining the amnesty rules and contact details to workers,” he said.

“This time, because it is Eid, we will ask them to visit more places.

“This is a golden chance given to illegal residents by the Bahraini government, which they should not miss.”

The embassy has also been receiving passports that were previously withheld by sponsors, so that the people they belong to can leave the country or legalise their stay.

In addition, he said the embassy was being approached daily by Bangladeshi businessmen who have partnerships in cold stores, restaurants and shops in Bahrain – offering to provide legitimate work for illegal residents who want to stay here.

It follows a decision by the Bangladesh Embassy to halt the processing of all recruitment from Bangladesh while the amnesty is underway.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Embassy community welfare attaché Maqsood Shah said it had printed more than 1,000 leaflets for distribution in mosques tomorrow.

“Many devotees gather for Eid prayers and this is the best time to spread the message of the amnesty,” said Mr Shah.

He added nationwide campaigns targeting associations such as the Pakistan Club and other bodies were being planned.

“We encourage all expatriate associations and clubs to help their embassies during the six-month general amnesty,” he said.

Shah also urged the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) to set up dedicated counters for those seeking to take advantage of the amnesty, manned by staff fluent in different languages.

“There are still many workers of different nationalities who go to the LMRA headquarters in Sanabis for help regarding amnesty,” he said.

The Indonesian Embassy has already started distributing flyers in restaurants and during gatherings of the community to encourage its nationals, mostly domestic workers, to leave the country if they are not here legally.

However, illegal foreign residents who have court cases against them – including travel bans for outstanding debts – are not covered by the amnesty. - TradeArabia News Service