28 January 2014 - The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah successfully negotiated with Saudi Immigration and Deportation officials in sending home the remaining 1,000 stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Beginning January 26, the Consulate can bring 100 Filipinos daily to the General Services Center (GSC) facility in Al-Shumaisy, about 60 kilometers outside Jeddah, through a special arrangement with the host government.
The OFWs – all males – boarded buses provided by the Philippine Government. They are among the almost 8,000 who approached the Consulate General beginning April last year for assistance in the issuance of exit visas by Saudi authorities. The Consulate will transport men and women (and their children) on alternate days.
The rest of the passengers came from those camped outside the Consulate. There are up to 1,000 overstaying OFWs who wish to be repatriated. Most of them are staying in makeshift tents. The Consulate General maintains a shelter open to displaced OFWs but most opt to stay at the “tent city”.
Consulate representatives proceed daily to the GSC to monitor and report on the progress of the exit visa processing and the final departure of the OFWs.
The Consulate repatriated at least 4,167 Filipinos in 2013, a year of crisis in mass repatriation which was brought about by the Kingdom’s campaign against illegal workers. The number is four times the 1,197 deported by Saudi Arabia in 2012 and more than the 3,720 in 2011 when the host government issued an amnesty for overstaying workers.
As of January 23, the Consulate General was able to facilitate the repatriation of 4,231 undocumented Filipinos, while the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh sent home a total of 2,946 individuals as of January 24, bringing the overall total for Saudi Arabia to 7,177. END