Philippine officials have started helping overstaying Filipinos in Saudi Arabia take advantage of a six-month amnesty period allowing overstaying foreigners to leave the Kingdom without punishment. Ambassador Antonio Villamor said he will meet with Saudi Interior Ministry officials to clarify certain details so he can guide the concerned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on how to avail of the amnesty. In Jeddah, the Philippine Consulate General said it will issue an advisory about the amnesty to the concerned OFWs. Labor Attache David Des Dicang of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in the Eastern Region said the organization was “indeed happy beyond words over this good development.” “OFWs who ran away from their sponsors and whose visas have expired could now expect to go home without penalty,” Dicang said. “If their passports have expired, they will have to fill up forms, including travel documents,” he added. The Philippine missions in the Kingdom could did not give the number of runaways in the country but the militant group Migrante International said about 3,000 have sought its help. There are many other undocumented OFWs, including maids who have run away from their sponsors, now working for other employers. The Saudi Interior Ministry advised those eligible to report to the nearest office of the Department for Foreigners' Affairs (Wafideen) from Sept. 25 this year to March 23, 2011. The ministry advised all overstayers and other illegal residents to benefit from the pardon and leave the Kingdom before the grace period. The violators caught after the amnesty will receive harsh punishments, including jail time and a fine.
