Group urges PHL to file protest vs Saudi for OFW abuses

MANILA, Philippines - A migrant rights' group on Wednesday called on the Philippine government to study the filing of a diplomatic protest over the alleged abuses on overseas Filipino workers deported during a crackdown by Saudi immigration authorities.

Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Monterona said the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Foreign Affairs should form a team to look into the reports of abuses on OFWs who were deported from the oil-rich Kingdom .

"The DFA and DoLE should secure signed affidavits from OFW deportees detailing the circumstances and specific abuses and human rights violations," Monterona said.

Monterona also urged the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to conduct a psychological and stress debriefing of all OFW deportees.

Last Nov. 4,  around 30 OFWs arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Saudi Arabia as thousands of undocumented and stranded OFWs have sought government assistance for repatriation since April when Saudi authorities started to round up ‘illegal’ and overstaying expatriate workers.

The Saudi government granted a 30-day amnesty twice-- the first was from May to July and the second from August to November 3.

When the Nov. 3 deadline had lapsed for all ‘illegal’ migrant workers in the Kingdom to correct their status, the Saudi authorities began the crackdown.

"We are expecting an intense crackdown of all undocumented migrants in the Kingdom in the coming days. The undocumented migrants should be treated humanely as there were reports of abuses, manhandling, slapping, kicking, during previous crackdown," Monterona  said. 

On November 4, the Saudi authorities resumed the crackdown that covers major cities in the Kingdom, he added.

He said that three trucks of undocumented migrants, mostly Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and some are Ethiopians, were apprehended during series of round up in various migrants known accommodations.

"No undocumented OFWs have been reported apprehended by Saudi authorities since yesterday as per monitoring of our Migrante colleagues in Saudi Arabia," Monterona added.

Monterona said an undocumented migrant will face six months to a year in jail and will be slapped a fine ranging from 12,000 to 20,000 Saudi rials, roughly between P139,000 and P230,000.

The DoLE estimated around 10,000 undocumented OFWs in Saudi Arabia when Saudi crackdown started since April.