Sam Leong should be ashamed of his race..
Huddled in tents outside Jeddah consulate, 1,000 desperate Pinoys hoping for repatriation
ANDREI MEDINA, GMA NewsApril 19, 2013 12:00pm
Exposed to the searing sun, over 1,000 undocumented Filipino workers, with limited food and water, are now huddling in tents outside the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Eight days since desperate overseas Filipino workers (OFW) began camping outside the consulate on April 11, the mushrooming community of makeshift tents resembles an evacuation center in the Philippines.
But this veritable “tent city” is expected to grow as the Saudi government appears determined to implement its crackdown on the estimated tens of thousands of illegal overseas workers in the kingdom.
In the Philippines on Friday, the migrant workers advocacy group Migrante-Middle East told GMA News Online that some of the family members of those camping outside the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah staged a picket in front of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) headquarters in Pasay City.
Saudi crackdown vs. illegal workers
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. Here's a look into the Saudi crackdown on illegal workers and the situation of undocumented Filipinos in that country: Start of the Saudi crackdown 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. Reprieve given by the Saudi King 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.Read more
Several Philippine officials have also called for assistance for the Filipinos camping outside the embassy.
Vice President Jejomar Binay in a Facebook post on Wednesday urged the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia to speed up the processing of the exit papers of undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who want to return to the Philippines.
Also on Wednesday, Senator Loren Legarda, Senate foreign relations committee chair, in a news release, urged the departments of Labor and Foreign Affairs to "intensify representations with the Saudi government for the immediate repatriation of stranded overseas Filipino workers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia."
"The repatriation of hundreds of stranded Filipinos in Jeddah, some of whom are sick, and others even have children in tow, should be a priority of our government. This problem has gone on for years. Repatriation of stranded Filipinos should be a matter of course. It is not the subject of an 'if and when' proposition," Legarda said.
Haphazard conditions
Saudi is host to the biggest population of OFWs —about 1.5 million—many of whom are nurses, engineers, architects, and domestic workers.
However, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas' Stock Estimate of Overseas Filipinos also indicates that as of 2011, there were around 20,000 undocumented Pinoys in Saudi Arabia.
According to a report in GMA News TV's "Balita Pilipinas Ngayon" on Tuesday, the Filipinos are camping outside the consulate in hot, dirty, and haphazard conditions, causing some of the children to contract diseases.
“Nananawagan kami sa pamahalan natin na tulungan kami bago matapos yung tatlong buwan na ilalabas ng Saudi government. Bago matapos yun ay kailangan makauwi kaming lahat,” said a Filipino camping outside the consulate who refused to be named.
“Gumawa na sila ng initiatiba para magkaroon na po ng mass repatriation at hanggat maaari nga ay manawagan na sa Saudi government para ipanawagan na ang general amnesty,” another Filipino said.
Meanwhile, a report of the Saudi-based news site Arab News earlier this week said as the number of campers outside the Philippine Consulate swells, "the conditions at the camps have become unbearable."
The report cited the lack of food, water, and sanitation facilities for the undocumented Filipinos who are hoping to catch the first flight to the Philippines.
"Arab News saw some of the expats strolling aimlessly along the narrow alleyways opposite Umm Al-Qura Road while women and children kept themselves to the ubiquitous tents," it added.
One of the Filipinos camping outside the consulate, Jenat Faelgato, told Arab News that she has been trying to go home to the Philippines for the last two years but did not have the means to do so.
The domestic helper said she felt horrible living in the tent city with her two young children. However, she was forced to leave her employer whose son was beating her.
Another camper said she chose to camp outside the consulate because her sponsor suddenly stopped paying her salary. She said she worked legally in Saudi for 12 years but now wants to go back to the Philippines.
Some Saudis and Western expats are giving the refugees food and other essential items, a Saudi-based news site reported on Thursday.
Kind-hearted locals and expats arrive in vehicles and deliver the goods which is then distributed by the Filipinos to the tent city refugees, according to another report from Arab News.
No assistance from Saudi govt
In an ambush interview with reporters at the Saudi Embassy in Makati on Thursday, Saudi Ambassador to the Philippines Abdullah Al-Hassan said their government has no intention to assist the 20,000 undocumented Filipino workers in their country, including those camping outside the Philippine Consulate.
“Definitely the authorities of the kingdom shall not give them or provide them any assistance,” Al-Hassan said.
He added that Saudi authorities will start arresting undocumented foreign workers after the three-month grace period given by the Saudi King ends on July 4, 2013.
Crackdown operations against undocumented foreign workers began on March 28.
The three-month suspension of the crackdown was announced on April 6, 2013 to give undocumented foreign workers time to sort their documents to avoid penalties.
After the reprieve, Saudi authorities will fully enforce the counrty's labor and visa requirement, and punish violators with steep fines and jail time of up to 50,000 Saudi Riyals (roughly Php500,000).
Negotiations
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said they will negotiate with the Saudi government for the speedy repatriation of the Filipinos camping outside the consulate.
“The PHL gov't will negotiate with the Saudi gov't for the waiver of certain requirements, such as the No Objection Certificate from employers who can no longer be contacted, to expedite the repatriation of these OFWs,” DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a separate report.
Hernandez added that the consulate is getting narratives from the Filipinos and is trying to get in touch with other undocumented OFWs who would like to be repatriated. - VVP, GMA News
Pinoy tent city rises outside PHL Consulate in Jeddah
Pinoy 'tent city' rises outside PHL Consulate in Jeddah. Filipino workers who set up a tent city near the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia form a human conveyor to distribute food and other supplies. At least 1,000 undocumented OFWs have camped outside the consulate and are asking to be repatriated for fear of being arrested by Saudi authorities after a recent crackdown against illegal migrants. Bong Concha
Huddled in tents outside Jeddah consulate, 1,000 desperate Pinoys hoping for repatriation
ANDREI MEDINA, GMA NewsApril 19, 2013 12:00pm
Exposed to the searing sun, over 1,000 undocumented Filipino workers, with limited food and water, are now huddling in tents outside the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Eight days since desperate overseas Filipino workers (OFW) began camping outside the consulate on April 11, the mushrooming community of makeshift tents resembles an evacuation center in the Philippines.
But this veritable “tent city” is expected to grow as the Saudi government appears determined to implement its crackdown on the estimated tens of thousands of illegal overseas workers in the kingdom.
In the Philippines on Friday, the migrant workers advocacy group Migrante-Middle East told GMA News Online that some of the family members of those camping outside the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah staged a picket in front of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) headquarters in Pasay City.
Saudi crackdown vs. illegal workers
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. Here's a look into the Saudi crackdown on illegal workers and the situation of undocumented Filipinos in that country: Start of the Saudi crackdown 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. Reprieve given by the Saudi King 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.Read more
Several Philippine officials have also called for assistance for the Filipinos camping outside the embassy.
Vice President Jejomar Binay in a Facebook post on Wednesday urged the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia to speed up the processing of the exit papers of undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who want to return to the Philippines.
Also on Wednesday, Senator Loren Legarda, Senate foreign relations committee chair, in a news release, urged the departments of Labor and Foreign Affairs to "intensify representations with the Saudi government for the immediate repatriation of stranded overseas Filipino workers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia."
"The repatriation of hundreds of stranded Filipinos in Jeddah, some of whom are sick, and others even have children in tow, should be a priority of our government. This problem has gone on for years. Repatriation of stranded Filipinos should be a matter of course. It is not the subject of an 'if and when' proposition," Legarda said.
Haphazard conditions
Saudi is host to the biggest population of OFWs —about 1.5 million—many of whom are nurses, engineers, architects, and domestic workers.
However, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas' Stock Estimate of Overseas Filipinos also indicates that as of 2011, there were around 20,000 undocumented Pinoys in Saudi Arabia.
According to a report in GMA News TV's "Balita Pilipinas Ngayon" on Tuesday, the Filipinos are camping outside the consulate in hot, dirty, and haphazard conditions, causing some of the children to contract diseases.
“Nananawagan kami sa pamahalan natin na tulungan kami bago matapos yung tatlong buwan na ilalabas ng Saudi government. Bago matapos yun ay kailangan makauwi kaming lahat,” said a Filipino camping outside the consulate who refused to be named.
“Gumawa na sila ng initiatiba para magkaroon na po ng mass repatriation at hanggat maaari nga ay manawagan na sa Saudi government para ipanawagan na ang general amnesty,” another Filipino said.
Meanwhile, a report of the Saudi-based news site Arab News earlier this week said as the number of campers outside the Philippine Consulate swells, "the conditions at the camps have become unbearable."
The report cited the lack of food, water, and sanitation facilities for the undocumented Filipinos who are hoping to catch the first flight to the Philippines.
"Arab News saw some of the expats strolling aimlessly along the narrow alleyways opposite Umm Al-Qura Road while women and children kept themselves to the ubiquitous tents," it added.
One of the Filipinos camping outside the consulate, Jenat Faelgato, told Arab News that she has been trying to go home to the Philippines for the last two years but did not have the means to do so.
The domestic helper said she felt horrible living in the tent city with her two young children. However, she was forced to leave her employer whose son was beating her.
Another camper said she chose to camp outside the consulate because her sponsor suddenly stopped paying her salary. She said she worked legally in Saudi for 12 years but now wants to go back to the Philippines.
Some Saudis and Western expats are giving the refugees food and other essential items, a Saudi-based news site reported on Thursday.
Kind-hearted locals and expats arrive in vehicles and deliver the goods which is then distributed by the Filipinos to the tent city refugees, according to another report from Arab News.
No assistance from Saudi govt
In an ambush interview with reporters at the Saudi Embassy in Makati on Thursday, Saudi Ambassador to the Philippines Abdullah Al-Hassan said their government has no intention to assist the 20,000 undocumented Filipino workers in their country, including those camping outside the Philippine Consulate.
“Definitely the authorities of the kingdom shall not give them or provide them any assistance,” Al-Hassan said.
He added that Saudi authorities will start arresting undocumented foreign workers after the three-month grace period given by the Saudi King ends on July 4, 2013.
Crackdown operations against undocumented foreign workers began on March 28.
The three-month suspension of the crackdown was announced on April 6, 2013 to give undocumented foreign workers time to sort their documents to avoid penalties.
After the reprieve, Saudi authorities will fully enforce the counrty's labor and visa requirement, and punish violators with steep fines and jail time of up to 50,000 Saudi Riyals (roughly Php500,000).
Negotiations
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said they will negotiate with the Saudi government for the speedy repatriation of the Filipinos camping outside the consulate.
“The PHL gov't will negotiate with the Saudi gov't for the waiver of certain requirements, such as the No Objection Certificate from employers who can no longer be contacted, to expedite the repatriation of these OFWs,” DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a separate report.
Hernandez added that the consulate is getting narratives from the Filipinos and is trying to get in touch with other undocumented OFWs who would like to be repatriated. - VVP, GMA News
Pinoy tent city rises outside PHL Consulate in Jeddah
Pinoy 'tent city' rises outside PHL Consulate in Jeddah. Filipino workers who set up a tent city near the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia form a human conveyor to distribute food and other supplies. At least 1,000 undocumented OFWs have camped outside the consulate and are asking to be repatriated for fear of being arrested by Saudi authorities after a recent crackdown against illegal migrants. Bong Concha
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