80 illegal OFWs camp out outside consulate office in Saudi

MANILA, Philippines - Around 80 stranded and undocumented overseas Filipino workers have camped out outside the Philippine Consulate General in Saudi Arabia to press officials to attend to their request for repatriation, a migrant workers' rights group said on Thursday.

Bobby Fajarito, vice chairperson of Migrante-Jeddah, said the stranded OFWs have been calling on Philippine embassy officials to expedite their repatriation days after the Saudi authorities temporarily halted the crackdown of illegal and overstaying migrants.

Earlier, Migrante officials in Jeddah have received unconfirmed reports that a number of stranded and undocumented OFWs started to build their tents made of sacks near the consulate's building in Jeddah, western city of Saudi Arabia.

Fajarito said that of the 80 who camped out the Philippine consulate building, 20 are women with children.

"Most of them came from Dammam and in the Eastern part of Saudi Arabia, some from Riyadh, Saudi’s capital. They really wanted to be repatriated but Philippine officials allegedly are not attending their request for repatriation. They were only told that repatriation program has been stopped," Fajarito said.

Fajarito said some of the stranded OFWs were advised by Philippine embassy officials in Riyadh to proceed to Jeddah.

In previous years, stranded and undocumented migrants stayed below the Khadera Bridge also in Jeddah hoping that Jawasat, Saudi’s immigration police, will arrest and bring them to the deportation centers for repatriation.

"The stranded, especially women with children, have asked assistance from us like food, water and other basic needs. We will try our best to provide what we can do while we call on Philippine consulate officials to provide their needs," Fajarito said.