Ronaldo Z. Concha Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — A large number of undocumented Filipino workers trooped to the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah and set up a make-shift tent in a vacant lot beside the mission to push their demand for immediate repatriation. Bobby Fajarito, Jeddah vice chairperson of OFW advocacy group Migrante, said at least 675 undocumented Filipinos have showed up since Tuesday appealing for assistance from the Philippine and Saudi governments to repatriate them back home. “Some of them came from eastern Saudi Arabia, others from Riyadh, but the majority are from Jeddah. They want to be repatriated but consulate officials are not attending to their requests,” Fajarito said. Most of the workers had run away from their employers for various reasons, including non-payment of salaries, physical and verbal abuse and contract alterations. Some runaway women said they faced threats of sexual abuse from their employers. Consul General Uriel Norman Garibay said the mission is aware of the situation of the undocumented workers camped outside the consulate and has reported the matter to the Home Office in Manila. Garibay said he has also informed the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the situation to find the best possible solution to send all undocumented Filipinos back home "within the bounds of the Saudi law." Garibay said the grace period announced by the Saudi government was meant specifically for foreigners who have valid residency permits but are working for employers who are not their sponsors. "Those who have fled from their original sponsors and no longer have valid residency permits or passports are in a different category altogether," he said. “Theirs is an immigration problem and there are existing procedures under Saudi law for addressing their issues, but we are always ready to provide appropriate advice and assistance to either category. However, their respective solutions are different,” Garibay added. He said workers falling under the immigration problem category must secure their last valid iqama and passport or at least the copy of the last passport. They will need to get in touch with their original sponsors who brought them into Saudi Arabia for a no-objection certificate. However, they will be required to pay the immigration fines and bear the airfare for going back to the Philippines. Garibay reiterated that there is no amnesty for foreigners illegally staying in Saudi Arabia. According to him, it was only a proposal made by Labor Minister Adel Fakieh, which is still under study as was confirmed by Philippine Ambassador Ezzedin Tago directly from the labor minister himself. Once the embassy receives official notification in this regard from the Saudi authorities, Garibay said, it will advise the Filipinos of such a development. "We previously advised the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia not to believe rumors that there is an amnesty and that the Philippine government will shoulder all expenses (fines and airfare) for the repatriation of overstayers,” he said.
