27 December 2013 - The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh received a report from the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah that a total of 537 Filipinos who are at the Shumaisi Facility close to Jeddah have been repatriated to the Philippines.  Their repatriation was arranged by the Saudi authorities on two special flights on December 16 to 17.  The 537 are part of 644 staying at the facility after processing when the November 3 deadline for the correction period ordered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz ended.

Philippine Ambassador Ezzedin Tago remarked “I thank the Saudi Government for its continued assistance, and for the two special flights that repatriated the 537 Filipinos.”  He added, “ I also commend the officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah including our Labor and Social Service Attaches for helping our consulate in extending services to our nationals in Jeddah as well as in other regions of the Kingdom.”

On the evening of December 16, 195 women with 59 children and 3 men, or a total of 257, were flown to Manila on board special Saudi Airlines flight SV3874.

On December 17, also in the evening, 186 women and 94 children, or a total of 280, followed on board another special Saudi Airlines SV 3876. Thus far, these are the biggest numbers of undocumented Filipinos repatriated in a single day this year. The plane tickets for both flights were paid by the Saudi Government.

During the two-day repatriation, Consul General Uriel Norman Garibay and the officers and staff of the Consulate in Jeddah were on hand from dawn till nightfall to provide complete documentation and other related assistance to the Filipinos in order to ensure that all of them will be able to depart as scheduled.

All of the women and children formed part of the large group of Filipinos who voluntarily surrendered to Saudi immigration authorities at the General Services Center (deportation center) at Al Shumaisi on November 10.

As of December 20, there are 52 women and 39 children, or a total of 91 Filipinos remain at Shumaisi Facility. They could have departed with the 537 OFWs, but they need to resubmit to fingerprinting process of the Jawazat (Passports General Directorate) in order to be issued exit visas. The Consulate is making arrangements for this to be done soon.

The Philippine Government, meanwhile, has so far facilitated the repatriation of a total of 6,186 undocumented Filipinos. The figure includes the 537 Filipinos from the Al Shumaisi facility. END