Crackdown on illegal immigrants in Saudi suspended

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino workers are happy that a crackdown on illegal migrants in Saudi Arabia will be suspended.

Susan Ople, Blas F. Ople Policy Center head, said many Filipinos in the kingdom have expressed joy over the positive development through  Facebook accounts.

“Thousands of OFWs in Saudi Arabia without proper documents are overjoyed by this announcement because they can now at least freely move around and seek the embassy’s help in correcting their status,” Ople said.

Diplomatic posts in Saudi Arabia need to help OFWs take advantage of the three-month grace period, she said.

Last Saturday, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Labor to stop the crackdown on foreign workers without proper work documents for three months to enable them to correct their status.

Ople said the kingdom made clear that the law will be enforced against those who remain in violation after the grace period.

Thousands of OFWs who have lost touch with their original sponsors need the help of the Philippine embassy in Riyadh and other diplomatic offices in Saudi Arabia, she added.