“We are closely coordinating with authorities in the Eastern Province and finding out what charges will be filed against them. We’ll do our best to help them,” said Philippine Embassy Charge d'Affaires Ezzedin H. Tago.

He added that the embassy would work on their repatriation so that they can go home to rejoin their families in the Philippines.

Of the 32 OFWs, 26 were women. “There's really no concerted campaign to crack down on OFWs who have run away from their employers,” a source told Arab News on Wednesday. “The police conducted the raid after a tipoff from other OFWs who allegedly had differences with those detained.”

John Leonard Monterona, Middle East regional coordinator for Philippine support group Migrante, told Arab News that he received a report from his organization’s chapter in Alkhobar, saying on Wednesday morning police swooped on the villas and apartments of the runaway OFWs.

“We appeal to the Saudi government to respect the rights of undocumented migrants in its campaign to root out illegal residents like runaway OFWs,” he said in an e-mail to Arab News.

He also called on the Philippine Embassy to make the same appeal to the Saudi government and properly represent the detained OFWs.

He urged Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay and the Department of Foreign Affairs to lobby the Kingdom’s government for the legalization of all undocumented OFWs.