Filipino group set for final exit after ‘camp’ ordeal

Thirty-seven Filipinos who requested repatriation are scheduled to leave for the Philippines today, said a source at the consulate in Jeddah.
“They are part of a group of 67 Filipinos endorsed by the Saudi authorities for repatriation,” the source told Arab News. The repatriation of the others is being followed up, said the source.
The nine men, 12 women and 16 children include those who previously camped out at the consulate and were later housed on the fourth floor of the diplomatic mission building. The source said the 37 were taken to the Jeddah Deportation Center on Sunday.
“While they were aware that it was their first concrete step to getting repatriated to the Philippines, they were oblivious as to how long they were going to stay in the facility,” he said.
Members of the group knew they would have to go through a stringent clearing process before they were allowed to return home, he added.
The source said members of the group “were uncertain as to whether or not their respective sponsors or employers of record would readily issue them with no-objection certificates.”
They were bracing themselves for the worst possible scenario but “continued praying and hoped that the process would not take long,” he said.
They were finally informed on Monday that they had been cleared and would be allowed to leave the Kingdom.