Migrante urges undocumented OFWs to apply for amnesty

MIGRANTS rights group Migrante on Tuesday called on all undocumented Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia to apply for its amnesty program.

Also expressing his elation to this development, Migrante Middle East spokesman John Leonard Monterona thanked the Saudi government for the “humanitarian act.

“We welcome the announcement of Labor Minister Adel Fakieh in granting amnesty to all undocumented migrant workers in the Kingdom. It will give our fellow expatriates chance to reunite with their loved ones after years of being away from their respective families.

“Regardless of nationality, Filipinos or not, they share the same struggles –that of being undocumented and it’s not that easy being ‘illegals’. They are prone to all types of abuses. In fact, most of the undocumented were run away being victim of human rights and labor rights violations,” said Monterona in a statement to Leyte Samar Daily Express.

The OFW leader then urged all undocumented OFWs to enlist at PH embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah.

“As of now, we have monitored little more than 7,000 undocumented OFWs who have enlisted themselves to the PH consulate in Jeddah requesting for repatriation since last year.

Monterona also asked the Philippine embassy in Riyadh to seek guidance on this amnesty announcement from the Labor minister. Filipinos are the third largest migrant community in Saudi.

“The guidelines will help our fellow undocumented OFWs getting out of Saudi Arabia without much hassle and without being penalized. The PH embassy must conduct an information dissemination campaign regarding this.”

“This development should reach to our around 26,000 to 30,000 undocumented Filipino workers in the Kingdom mostly household service workers and construction workers.

There are about 8-M migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, in which 1.2-M are Filipinos.

As announced by Saudi Labor Minister Adel Fakeih, all undocumented foreign workers can leave Saudi Arabia on exit-only visas without being penalized.

Said development will benefit about 1 million undocumented migrants in oil-rich Kingdom. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)