LMRA seeks embassies’ help to implement amnesty

Muhammad Azam/DTNN

new@dt.bh

Manama

Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) convened a meeting with representatives of the embassies of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Philippine, Nepal and Indonesia last night to seek their cooperation in the implementation of the Law of Amnesty, which will be effective from July 1 for six months.

The objective of the amnesty is to provide illegal workers an opportunity to either legalise their status by obtaining a work permit or return to their countries without facing any penalty or blacklisting.

After the meeting, Community Welfare Counselor Maqsood Qadir Shah told DT News, CEO of LMRA, Ausamah Alabsi, asked them to translate the Law of Amnesty into their country’s native languages and distribute the translated copies among the workers so that no one misses the benefit of this scheme.

He said the Pakistan Embassy has already send the copies law for translations into Urdu.

He said whoever wanted to benefit from this scheme should either approach LMRA or their embassy. Upon filling a simple form, the beneficiaries would be referred to the Immigration department, where they would receive permit to go to their homeland.

Shah said LMRA was also going to provide those forms to the embassies as well.  

“It is a big opportunity for the expats, especially the housemaids and runaways who could not their embassies for fear of being fined,” He added.

He said they were informed in the meeting about the establishment of a state-of-the-art protection centre with 100 beds, near the LMRA building, to protect human trafficking victims.

Both men and women would benefit from the shelter house, which would also provide them the facility of prosecutors.

He said he was impressed to know that the centre would be just like a hotel with full facilities. Alabsi also reportedly told them they would provide jobs for human trafficking victims.