Ashraf family returns home after 18 years of undocumented life in Bahrain

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

After more than 18 agonizing years of living undocumented in Bahrain, Mr. Ashraf, his wife Ramsheedha, and their two daughters have finally returned home to Kerala, their dignity and identity restored.

For over a decade, the Ashraf family’s existence was confined to a tiny rented room in Riffa, a life marked by invisibility, lack of documentation, and constant fear.

Mr. Ashraf’s dream of a better life in Bahrain turned into a legal nightmare as visas expired, leaving his wife undocumented since 2013 and his elder daughter since 2012.

The youngest, Arafa Fatima, born in Bahrain, had no legal existence – no passport, no CPR, no birth registration.

Medical care

This dire situation meant the children could not attend school, the family could not work legally, and even seeking basic medical care was fraught with anxiety.

The family’s silent struggle intensified when Mr. Ashraf was diagnosed with endstage kidney failure, requiring life-saving dialysis. Without income or legal identity, obtaining such critical treatment seemed impossible.

Hope arrived when Mr. Sudheer Thirunilath, Global PRO and President of Pravasi Legal Cell (PLC), Bahrain Chapter, learned of their plight. With the support of PLC governing council members, the journey to recovery began.

Mr. Ashraf was admitted to Salmaniya Hospital for catheter surgery and later dialysis sessions were arranged at a nominal cost in the KIMSHEALTH (GCC), with the support of Mr. Jacob Thomas, Group Executive Director.

PLC took charge of all logistical and emotional support, including hospital coordination, medication, food, rent, and even obtaining their marriage certificate and attestation.

Hurdle

The biggest hurdle was Arafa Fatima, the daughter born in Bahrain who legally “did not exist.”

PLC arranged for a power of attorney for Adv. Tariq Alown, who filed a case to secure her birth certificate.

Outstanding hospital charges at Jidhafs were settled, and with support from MP Hassan Eid Bukhammas, the process at the Central Informatics Organization (CIO) was fast-tracked.

The breakthrough arrived when the court ordered Arafa’s birth to be officially registered. For the first time in her 13 years, she had a legal identity.

The PLC team continued their relentless efforts: lost passport reports were filed, outpasses (emergency certificates) were issued for all four family members, and finally, passports were initiated, fully restoring their identities.

Fines

The last major obstacle was the accumulated immigration fines over 13 years, an insurmountable sum for the family.

The PLC team approached Bahrain’s Immigration Authorities, who responded with remarkable empathy, helping to legalize the family’s stay and allowing them to depart without fear.

The Embassy of India in Bahrain, under the leadership of H.E. Shri Vinod K. Jacob, First Secretary Mr. Ravi Jain, and Second Secretary Mr. Ravi Singh, arranged tickets through Air India to Kannur International Airport.

Yesterday, the Ashraf family finally boarded the plane, returning to their homeland with documents, identity, and dignity.