Dhaka: The Labour Market Regulatory Authority(LMRA) announced a six-month amnesty beginning on 1 July allowing illegal workers to either legalise their presence in Bahrain through obtaining legal gainful employment or by leaving back to their countries without penalties or ‘black listing’.

This will allow all workers who choose to leave Bahrain during the amnesty period to return at any future date to Bahrain without obstacles, said the LMTA website on Monday.

Bangladeshi workers will also be benefited from the amnesty.

LMTA’s Chief Executive Officer Ausamah Alabsi said, ‘We offer this opportunity 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, ‘We aim to remove as many people as possible from this vulnerable position of being illegal and subject to exploitation, and give them the opportunity of a new start without financial or legal costs.’

During the Amnesty from 1 July  to 1 December, 2015, workers of the following categories Absent from work (runaway), Terminated (overstay), Absent after termination (runaway after termination) and Non-Renewed (overstay) will be eligible to avail of the special procedures by either leaving Bahrain without penalty fines and with the possibility of returning at any time regardless of legal status (No black listing) or getting legal employment with a new employer without the consent of the previous employer and with removal of any offenses that currently exist.

Currently, around 1,15,000 Bangladeshis are working in different sectors in Bahrain. Of them, 36,572 are believed to be illegal, according to official sources.