Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah has said that 621 Filipinos formerly living under Jeddah's Sitteen Bridge have been deported back to their home country by the consulate this year. The 621, who were described as in violation of labor and residency laws or having had “difficulties” with their sponsors, had been moved from the Sitteen Bridge to a consulate-rented site at Jeddah's Old Airport for accommodation. Consul General Ezzedine Tago said that large numbers of Filipinos were still awaiting deportation, but denied that many had claimed to have lost their passports, adding that the consulate had been instructed to provide passports to individuals who had lost their documents. Tago said 40 females and 140 males were currently being held in prisons in the province of Makkah, and the authorities were working to deport them upon completion of their sentences. No Saudi is being held in prison in the Philippines, he added. The consulate has been working closely with the National Society of Human Rights to address the situation of Filipinos in the region, according to Tago, particularly those who have taken refuge under the Sitteen overpass in Jeddah.
