JEDDAH, 15 November 2002 — The Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS), a Riyadh-based volunteer group working for the protection and promotion of migrant rights and welfare of Filipinos since its formation in 1985, welcomes the statement of Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla regarding the repatriation of the more than 100 stranded male workers in the Saudi capital.
"We are happy that our ambassador is now addressing the plight of our homeless runaway workers in Riyadh," the group said in a statement sent to Arab News.
"We know that the number of stranded male Filipino workers is increasing each day. We will monitor the progress of his promise to work with the host government for the granting of amnesty to our distressed kababayan."
The statement said the Kapatiran ng mga Migranteng Stranded sa Riyadh (KAMI-SR) has listed at least 134 male runaways hopping from one friend's apartment to another in Riyadh.
Some of them have fled from Hafer Al-Batin, Buraydah, Dammam, and in nearby districts of Riyadh, it said.
KGS asked the embassy to keep negotiating with the host government for a shelter for male runaway workers that would be manned by professional social workers.
"We recognized that not only the migrant workers who ran away from the problems with their employers are suffering from their situation but also their families back home since the distressed workers are unable to provide their loved one with their monthly subsistence, thus the need for immediate repatriation," it said.
"Most of the runaway workers complain of non-payment of salaries, long working hours of up to 16 hours a day, no off days, salary reduction, poor housing accommodation and delayed payment of wages and physical abuse. One of them has not met their sponsor since he arrived in Riyadh early last year, while others have not been provided with iqama or work permits.
"We view with dismay that majority of the runaway workers have already sought assistance from the Philippine Embassy's Labor Office but are still waiting to be repatriated pending the lengthy negotiations with their employers," said the statement.
