More and more undocumented Filipino workers are camping outside the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah and are calling out for mass repatriation even after the Saudi King announced a three-month reprieve on the crackdown against illegal workers in that country.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on April 6 ordered a three-month delay to a crackdown on illegal migrant workers that has led to thousands of deportations.
The reprieve, which will end on July 4 this year, aims to give foreigners in the kingdom a chance to sort out their papers.
The crackdown operations started on March 28 this year because of the “Saudization” policy (nitaqat), or the policy encouraging the employment of Saudi nationals in private firms.
Filipinos in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has more than nine million expatriates, including those from Yemen, India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Saudi is host to the biggest population of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) —about 1.5 million—many of whom are nurses, engineers, architects, and domestic workers.
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas' Stock Estimate of Overseas Filipinos indicates that in 2011:
- there were around 20,000 undocumented Pinoys in Saudi Arabia, and
- there were 1,530,218 legal Filipino workers there.
A 2012 report of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) showed that there are:
- 20,000 undocumented workers in Riyadh;
- 10,000 in Jeddah and in the Western Region;
- 300 in the Eastern Region; and
- 100 in Central Region
Punishment for illegal workers
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz urged some 20,000 undocumented Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia to take advantage of the kingdom's three-month reprieve on its crackdown on illegal workers to legalize their stay there.
After the reprieve, Baldoz stressed that Saudi authorities will fully enforce the counrty's labor and visa requirement, and punish violators with steep fines and jail time.
Saudi penalties range from 1,000 to 50,000 Saudi riyals (P11,002-P550,105), Baldoz noted.
No amnesty
No amnesty so far has been issued with regards to the crackdown causing undocumented Filipino workers to flock the PHL consulate in hopes of a speedy repatriation.
However, repatriation in the Middle East particularly in Saudi takes time since obtaining a certificate of no-objection from the undocumented worker's former employer which is also a pre-requisite for an exit visa proves to be a difficult and complicated process.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is thus seeking to negotiate a waiver of certain requirements such as the no-objection certificate with the Saudi government.
Tent City
According to the DFA, some 1,000 OFWs camping outside the consulate, creating a Pinoy "Tent City," as they seek to be repatriated to the Philippines to avoid being arrested when the crackdown resumes.
The migrant workers advocacy group Migrante-Middle East said the on April 11, or five days after the Saudi King announced a three-month reprieve on the crackdown against illegal workers.
A report of the news site Arab News the number of campers in the Tent City is expected to go up as some 100 undocumented Filipinos continue to arrive daily at the embassy, seeking help.
According to a report in GMA News TV's "Balita Pilipinas Ngayon" on Tuesday, the Filipinos at the consulate have been camping out for over a week now in hot, dirty, and haphazard conditions, causing some of the children to contract diseases.
'Undocumented children'
According to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, children, along with their mothers who are undocumented workers, will need to undergo stringent requirements imposed by the local authorities.
Baldoz explained that undocumented workers lack the proper documents to have the stay of their children in Saudi legalized.
“Most of the parents do not possess a marriage contract, or have an expired Iqama, or have no Iqama at all. Under Shariah Law, birth out of wedlock is punishable by imprisonment before deportation,” Baldoz explained. - Andrei Medina, VVP/BM, GMA News
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