“I have informed the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines about this development. We are indeed thankful to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for this generous gesture,” Ambassador Antonio P. Villamor said.

Villamor said he would also seek a meeting with officials at the Interior Ministry to gain a clearer understanding of the procedures in order to properly guide overstaying Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

The Ministry of Interior said the amnesty would cover those who arrived in the Kingdom on Haj, Umrah, visit or any other type of visas that have expired, as well people who have violated Passport Department laws.

The ministry advised those eligible to report to the nearest Department for Foreigners’ Affairs (Wafideen) from Sept. 25, 2010. The amnesty ends on March 23, 2011.

The ministry also advised all overstayers and other illegal residents to benefit from the pardon and leave the Kingdom before the grace period. Violators caught after the amnesty will receive harsh punishments, including jail and a fine.

In Jeddah, the Saudi National Committee of Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS), a Kerala-based sociocultural organization, welcomed the amnesty declared by the Interior Ministry for illegal foreigners to leave the country.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Syed Habibul Bukhari, the committee’s president, urged all illegal residents in the country to make use of the opportunity immediately.

Bukhari said the relief cell under his committee would provide necessary assistance to members of the public who want to make use of the amnesty to complete official formalities. The organization will also hold a number of programs to raise awareness about the amnesty, he added.

Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau urged Sri Lankan nationals in the country who have lost their passports to make use of the amnesty. In a statement issued in Colombo, it asked them to report to Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate General in Jeddah to obtain emergency travel documents.

Philippine Embassy sources said it was difficult to quantify the number of runaway OFWs in the Kingdom.

According to the rights group Migrante International, some 3,000 runaway OFWs have sought its help. However, there are many other undocumented OFWs, including maids who have run away from their sponsors and are now working for other employers.

There are also OFWs who have escaped from their sponsors without informing the embassy and are staying with compatriots.

The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah told Arab News said that it could only issue an appropriate advisory for concerned OFWs after it has received an official notification on the amnesty.

Labor Attache David Des T. Dicang of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in the Eastern Region, on the other hand, told Arab News that the organization was “indeed happy beyond words over this good development.”

“OFWs who ran away from their sponsors and whose visas have expired could now expect to go home without penalty,” Dicang added.

“If their passports have expired, they will have to fill up forms, including travel documents.”