37 undocumented Pinoys repatriated from Jeddah

MANILA, Philippines - A group of 37 undocumented Filipinos in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were repatriated on Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced yesterday.

The Philippine consulate general in Jeddah said the group of Filipinos repatriated included some children. The repatriates arrived in Manila at 4:25 p.m. yesterday via Emirates Airlines flight EK 3337.

They are among the first batch of undocumented Filipinos processed by Saudi Immigration authorities for deportation.

The airfare of the repatriates was charged against the funds recently released by the DFA for undocumented Filipinos in Jeddah.

Representatives of the DFA and the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) assisted the repatriates upon their arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

While their repatriation was being processed, the consulate provided the repatriates food and other basic necessities. The women and children were also given refuge at the consulate.

This latest batch of repatriates comes after the arrival of five overstaying pilgrims who were also repatriated by the consulate.

The repatriations are in line with the government’s commitment to provide appropriate assistance to undocumented Filipinos in Saudi Arabia.

The Philippine embassy in Riyadh and the consulate have stepped up their efforts to hasten the repatriation process through regular diplomatic representations before the Saudi government.