Bahrain cuts fines for overstaying

Authorities in Bahrain have decided to offer concessions to all expatriates to either formalise their stay or to leave the island in their current campaign to organise the labour market and end the unhealthy phenomenon of 'free visa' and related problems.

As part of this campaign the Immigration and Passports Directorate has slashed fines for all expatriates overstaying their resident permits, and has extended the grace period for those families whose resident visas expired to enable their children to sit for their school exams this year. But this needs to be certified by the embassy to ensure that the extension of their stay was genuine.

With regard to fines for expatriates overstaying their resident permits the immigration authorities have set a 500 dinars ceiling to enable them to leave rather than being trapped in the country due to massive accumulated fines which they cannot pay.

Under the new penalty structure which comes into effect on February 1, maximum fine set for a housemaid is 200 dinars while in the case of others it will be 500 dinars.

Meanwhile under the new rules, which also comes into effect on February 1, all new employees must obtain their residence permits within a month of their arrival and all resident permits must be renewed within a month from the date of expiry.

The immigration authorities have told all companies and personal sponsors that failure to abide by this procedure will result in paying overstaying fees.

As part of the concessions offered to the expatriates, Interior Ministry Undersecretary for Immigration and Passports Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa had agreed to presentations made by the Indian Embassy Charge D' Affaires Rajeev Shahare to allow those families whose resident permits expired to stay in the country until their children's school exams are over.

Rajeev Shahare told Gulf News yesterday that there were number of Indian families in Bahrain whose visas were not renewed for various reasons.

"This is the reason why I personally met Sheikh Rashid and explained the situation. He was extremely understanding and agreed to extend the grace period and allow such families to stay in the island until their children completed their exams. But this needs to be certified by the embassy to ensure they genuinely extended their stay for their children's exams," said Rajeev.

He also explained that on an average around 25 to 30 Indians who live as "single" apply for "out passes", or emergency certificates to leave the island before the deadline.

But the embassy is finding it difficult to meet the demand due to procedural problems. As a result, their departure is delayed and even in this case Sheikh Rashid agreed to extend their stay beyond January 31 provided the embassy takes the responsibility and issue a certificate to this effect.

Meanwhile, the authorities have urged all such workers to formalise their papers before the grace period runs out and this is the second such amnesty offered to expatriate workers in two years.