A total of 8,534 passengers have been evacuated due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak.
Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) said that 5,570 passengers arrived in Bahrain while 2,964 left abroad.
The directorate has taken further procedures to regulate the arrival and departure of citizens and residents, providing qualified teams to handle the travel procedures.
It has also taken many precautionary measures to ensure smooth workflow, the protection of the safety of employees and the continuation of all services, such as the issuance of passports, visas, and resident permits.
To apply the social distancing rules, the NPRA has stopped receiving applicants and restricting its services to online applications through its website, except the attendance to receive Bahraini passports through Isa Town branch.
A contact centre was formed to answer inquiries and provide backup about online services.
Employees were instructed to wear masks, gloves and protective suits while directly dealing with travellers.
For their safety, the NPRA’s buildings and service centres are disinfected periodically, while the temperature of the employees is taken before entering the building.
To implement the decisions of the Executive Committee and the directives of the Interior Minister, the status of all violators, visitors and residents, were regulated and they were exempted from fee payment.
All visitors with expired and valid visas were extended for three months without the need to apply and free of charge.
Fees associated with all types of resident permits were waived until the end of the year.
The status of 54,891 visitors was regulated, in which their visas were extended for three months. A total of 82,065 expired and cancelled work permits were regulated to enable holders to legalise their stay because of the lockdown in their countries.
In regard of foreigners who violated the residency and visa rules, the NPRA has taken a number of steps, including evacuating violators or residents and visitors who want to leave the country, without paying the travel costs or tickets.
They were also exempted from any legal procedures because of their violations in coordination with their embassies.
The violators were sheltered until the dates of their trips.
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