HTML tags from PO files are removed during the importing process

Overview of the issue

WPML allows you to import strings from PO files in WPML → String Translation → Import / export .po. However, if any of those strings includes HTML tags, they will be stripped during the importing process.

Workaround

Please, be sure of making a full backup of your site before proceeding.

1. Open the /wp-content/plugins/wpml-string-translation/classes/po-import/class-wpml-po-import-strings.php file.
2. Look for line 43.
3. Replace:

   $original = filter_var( $string->original, FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING );

4. With:

   $original = htmlspecialchars( $string->original );