Envoy: Over 2,000 Pinoys in Riyadh repatriated during Saudi grace period



More than 2,200 Filipinos have been repatriated from Saudi Arabia during the grace period for foreign workers to correct their status, the Philippine Embassy there said Friday.

Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ezzedin Tago disclosed this during a meeting with Prince Khaled bin Bandar bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Emir of Riyadh Region, last Oct. 9.

In a statement, the Embassy said Tago told the Emir that "thousands" of Filipinos benefited from the amnesty period, and at least 2,221 Filipinos from Riyadh alone as of October 6 have been repatriated.

He said some of the Filipinos got tickets bought by the Philippine government, while others left on their own expense.

Also during the meeting, Tago conveyed the appreciation of the Philippine government and gratitude of the Filipinos in Saudi Arabia who benefited from the amnesty period.

The Saudi government initially gave foreign workers in the Kingdom until July to correct their status or leave without incurring penalties.

But it eventually extended the deadline to Nov. 3, following requests by employers. The correction period started April 6.

Meanwhile, Tago sought the Emir's help for other cases, including the admission of females who have no documents and their processing at the Saudi Social Welfare Authority.

He also sought a mechanism for males who no longer have their original iqama or passport and are not registered on the fingerprint database. — KBK, GMA News

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