JEDDAH, 11 February 2008 — The repatriation of Filipinos stranded in Jeddah has began, but only for those who have agreed to pass through the “legal process,” the Philippine Consulate General said yesterday.
Consulate officials said 24 Filipinos were admitted to the Passport and Immigration Department’s deportation center yesterday for “processing” so that they can leave the Kingdom.
Of the number, however, only three belonged to the original group of 72 men who marched from the bridge on Kandarah district to the consulate last week to demand repatriation.
“The three were those who submitted to the legal process,” said Consul General Ezzedin Tago, who is trying to convince the rest to do the same.
The rest of the 24 are said to be overstayers who have long sought help for repatriation from the consulate.
The 72 men, plus 10 women and two babies, came to Jeddah from Riyadh and the Eastern Province in December and January in hopes of leaving the Kingdom through the so-called “backdoor exit.”
They were reportedly promised by “fixers” who brought them to Jeddah that they could be “deported” summarily as long as they camp out in open places, such as in Kandarah bridge.
To their dismay, they were avoided by immigration authorities for reasons they could not explain. Tired of being ignored, they moved to the consulate.
Tago allowed them to stay inside the consulate compound while he and his staff work on the problem.
In a dialogue last week, consulate officials asked the workers to list their names and the names of their employers for the purpose of getting the employers to issue exit papers. However, most of the workers said they were afraid that their employers would retaliate because they absconded.
Most of the workers said they fled their employers due to delayed salaries or violation of their original contract.
In another dialogue yesterday with representatives of the workers, Tago reiterated his appeal for them to submit to the “legal process” so that their repatriation could begin. “We are doing our best to get all of you home as soon as possible. But we can only do that within the bounds of the (Saudi) law,” he told the workers.
Welfare Officer Romeo Pablo said the workers were only prolonging their own ordeal by not cooperating. “Now is the time to sign up,” he said, noting that immigration officials are expected to take 41 wards of the shelter for distressed women being maintained by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) at the consulate for their eventual repatriation to the Philippines.
