PHL consul-general in Jeddah: 'Indications' that Saudi grace period may be extended




Tags: Saudi Arabia
Eight Pinoy tent city occupants arrive from Jeddah
Eight Pinoy tent city occupants arrive from Jeddah. A group of overseas Filipino workers who were part of the tent city occupants arrive at the NAIA Terminal 1 on Sunday, June 30 from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There are at least a thousand OFWs still holed up in their tents near the PHL Consulate in Jeddah to evade a Saudi crackdown against undocumented OFWs. Ariel Fernandez
The Philippine consul-general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where over 300 undocumented Filipino workers have camped out outside the consulate, said there are "indications" that there will be an extension of the grace period given to undocumented workers to complete their documents for repatriation. 

The deadline of the three-month grace period is on July 3.

"Mukha naman pong mayroong mga indikasyon na magkakaron ng extension... Kung sakaling hindi man, gagawa tayo ng paraan upang ma-i-ayos po ang inyong sitwasyon," said Consul-general Uriel Norman Garibay in a "24 Oras" report Monday.

The crackdown operations against undocumented workers in Saudi started on March 28 this year because of the “Saudization” policy (nitaqat), which requires the employment of Saudi nationals in private firms.

The illegal workers may face arrest if they have not sorted their status by the deadline.

Garibay urged the undocumented OFWs to keep calm and try to complete their repatriation requirements.

"'Yung mga kababayan natin, kaunting hinahon po, huwag po tayong matataranta, huwag kayong mag-panic, at ginagawa ho namin ng paraan kung paano natin mapabilis ang proseso," Garibay said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez said they are still awaiting for a positive response from the Saudi government whether or not to extend the deadline of the grace period, which was set by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to give time for undocumented foreign workers to clear their status.

"We are hoping that the Saudi government would seriously look into this request and allow an extension," Hernandez said.

According to the report, Migrante International said there are over 1,400 undocumented OFWs waiting for repatriation.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said 800 Filipinos have been sent back to the country since the Saudization policy, while 304 have camped out outside the consulate. At least 226, meanwhile, are residing in temporary shelters.

Last week, a pregnant Filipino who was about to give birth was allegedly denied by 13 hospitals due to her undocumented status, according to the report. She was only admitted at the 14th hospital as the baby was about to come out.

Meanwhile, a Filipino child reportedly died in one of the temporary shelters, but this has yet to be verified. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab/BM, GMA News

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