40 Pinoys in Jeddah to be repatriated from Saudi – DFA


The government of Saudi Arabia is sending home at least 40 undocumented Filipinos from Jeddah, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday even as hundreds of other illegal workers from the Philippines remain stranded.
 
At a press briefing, Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said he cannot confirm if this group is among the hundreds of undocumented Filipinos camping outside the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah.
 
“I'm not sure if they are campers but we have been told that 40 people are now being arranged by the Saudi government to be repatriated,” Hernandez told reporters.

But no date has been given by the Saudi government on the Filipinos’ return to the Philippines, Hernandez said.
 
This is the first known repatriation of a large group of Filipino workers from Saudi since the Kingdom – which hosts more than 1 million Filipinos - imposed a crackdown on undocumented foreigners under its so-called Saudization policy which started March 28 this year.
 
The Saudization policy, or nitaqat, prioritizes the employment of Saudi nationals in private firms dominated by foreigners such as Filipinos. All those who are not in possession of proper immigration documents will be arrested and deported.
 
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on April 6 ordered a three-month delay to the crackdown on illegal migrant workers which has so far led to thousands of deportations.
 
The reprieve, which will end July 9 this year, aims to give foreigners in the kingdom a chance to sort out their papers.
 
Due to fear of being rounded up by authorities, at least 1,000 undocumented Filipino workers have set up camps outside the Philippine consulate.
 
The Filipinos have been stranded for weeks because departure procedures for illegal workers are tedious.
 
Fines would have to be paid and exit documents must be secured before they are granted permission by Saudi authorities to leave the country.
 
While Filipino officials in Saudi negotiate for the waiver of  these requirements, the DFA has encouraged the campers to move into the shelters provided them, but majority have refused.
 
As of May 1, Hernandez said only 47 Filipinos (21 women and 26 children) have accepted the DFA’s offer to transfer inside the consulate, one of the two temporary shelters that was set up by the Philippine government.  
 
Despite the defiant stance by the campers, Hernandez said the consulate will continue to give them food and other basic necessities. — Michaela del Callar/RSJ/BM, GMA News

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