As end of reprieve nears, PHL intensifies efforts to help undocumented Pinoy workers in Saudi

With just a month to go before the grace period expires, Philippine officials have intensified their efforts to help Filipinos in Saudi Arabia correct their status.

The grace period for undocumented workers to correct their status in Saudi Arabia is on July 3.

Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ezzedin Tago met on Wednesday with Saudi deputy interior minister Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Salem to tackle the matter.

"(Ambassador) Tago stressed that the affected Filipinos are keen to correct their status, and are hoping that they will be able to accomplish this within the grace period despite various challenges such as the large number of applicants at the concerned offices; the lack of required documents by some Filipinos and the procedures for exit visas," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a news release.

The DFA said the deputy minister and Tago agreed to "continue working closely to further ensure that Filipinos will be able to take advantage of the corrective period and the facilities and waivers from the penalties."

Tago also expressed gratitude for the guidelines issued jointly by the Ministries of Interior and Labor, which provided for various facilities and waivers of penalties to allow expatriates to correct their status.

Philippine officials have been holding in various sites consular missions exclusively for undocumented workers.

Tago said the affected Filipinos are either leaving on final exit or transferring to a new employer.

Intensified efforts

In a separate news release, the Philippine embassy in Saudi Arabia said it and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah had intensified efforts to process documentary requirements to help Filipinos correct their status.

As of May 29, the embassy said it has "found, retrieved and released 1,488 old surrendered passports to their holders in the Riyadh area, and sent 717 passports to the Consulate in Jeddah for release to their holders."

"The old passports are useful for those who do not have their iqama or a copy, as the entry information are written on the page opposite the visa used when entering the Kingdom," it said.

The embassy said the Directorate General for Passports is requiring the iqama, or the iqama copy, or the iqama number, or the old passport to process the final exit or the transfer of employment.

Those with no copy of their iqama or old passport used during entry are advised to get a Jawazat printout from the General Directorate for Passports, which may be obtained after submitting themselves to fingerprinting, it said.

Since May 11, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh said it has processed and issued 4,011 travel documents.

The PCG added that the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah has processed 2,420 travel documents.

From May 18 to 29, the Embassy in Riyadh has encoded 1,311 renewal passports and 1,566 replacements for lost passports or a total of 2,877 passports.

The Philippine Consulate in Jeddah has also encoded over 1,500 passports for renewal, and encoded over 2,000 replacements for lost passports. - VVP, GMA News

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