Hundreds of Filipinos leave the country annually in search of greener pastures. While many succeed, some don’t get as lucky.

“This is a sad reality. Many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are going home for good but many are also leaving to work abroad because of the lack of employment opportunities back home,” Benny M. Quiambao, a community leader, told Arab News.

He added that while the Philippine economy is growing, there’s a lack of new industries that could generate jobs for millions of unemployed Filipinos.

The GMA News, quoting a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) annual report released last Tuesday, said that more than 3,000 Filipino workers have been in jails abroad since last year, while 800 others have died due to accidents and illnesses that hardly make news at home.

The DFA said that from Jan. to Dec. 2013, 883 remains of Filipino expatriates were repatriated to the Philippines, while a total of 3,154 were in prison as of Dec. of the same year. Most cases of deaths and imprisonment are in the Gulf countries, which are key destinations for Filipino workers.

Saudi Arabia topped the list of countries with the highest number of deaths with 382 fatalities, followed by the UAE with 93 cases, Qatar 85, Kuwait 47, and Bahrain 30. In Asia, Japan and Singapore accounted for the highest number of deaths with 12 each, while in Europe, the UK registered 17 cases. Common causes of deaths are illnesses and accidents, Raul Hernandez, DFA spokesman, told GMA News Online.

The Middle East again had the highest rate of Filipinos who were jailed for various offenses, followed by Southeast Asia then China.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, who served in several Philippine diplomatic posts in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia as ambassador, said common offenses committed by Filipinos are possession of liquor, which is banned in Arab nations; theft or embezzlement; immorality; drug trafficking; murder; and traffic violation.

Middle East states with the most number of Filipinos in prison are Saudi Arabia 971, UAE 312, Qatar 51, Lebanon 45, Kuwait 37, Bahrain 21, Jordan 18, and Iran 14. In Asia, China had a total of 258 jailed Filipinos, mostly due to drug trafficking.

The report also showed a decline in the number of Filipino sailors being kidnapped in the pirate-infested African waters over the last four years.