170 Pinoys to leave Saudi before crackdown

MANILA, Philippines - At least 170 illegal overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia are returning home soon to avoid arrest, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Jeddah is already processing the exit visas of 170 Filipino workers.

 â€œPOLO-Jeddah has already endorsed an additional 170 travel documents to the Jawazat, or passport department, for exit visa issuance,” Baldoz said, noting that the Philippine embassy and labor officials continue to assist undocumented OFWs who wish to return home.

The Saudi government will start arresting undocumented foreigners on Nov. 3 as part of its ”Saudization“ policy, which encourages companies to hire Saudi citizens instead of foreigners.

For those who want to stay, Baldoz said the Philippine government is also exerting efforts to rectify their status by finding them new jobs. She said 400 undocumented OFWs participated in a job fair staged by the POLO last July.

“We know for a fact that most of these undocumented OFWs are not yet ready to come home because they need to earn in order to support their families here in the Philippines,” Baldoz said.

Baldoz explained that finding a job with an employer who can sponsor them is one way to correct the status of illegally staying OFWs in Saudi.