Filipino workers living outside the walls of their consulate in Jeddah while awaiting deportation prepare a meal of noodles Tuesday. (Saudi Gazette photo by Aamer Trambu)JEDDAH: Filipino workers who do not have a legal status in the Kingdom are waiting at their Consulate in Jeddah to be taken to the deportation center. As of Tuesday morning, there were 34 children, 115 men and 52 women who had camped on the vacant land next to the Consulate General of the Philippines in the Rehab district of Jeddah. These persons are classified as “illegal residents” by the Passports Department because they neither have a valid visa to work or stay in Saudi Arabia, nor do they have permission from their sponsors nor a passport or valid travel document. “Most of the people were on their work visa but fled from their sponsors. There are many women here who are runaway maids. We have run away from our sponsors for more than one reason,” said a stranded Filipino man. Another added, “The main reasons why we have fled from our sponsors are that we were paid a lower salary than we were promised or because our payments were delayed”. Moises, 34, from the Mindoro province of Fillipines, arrived in the Kingdom on a visit visa with four friends. “We worked for many months on this visit visa at a restaurant in Jeddah. The sponsor still holds our passports and is not willing to part with them. He demands too much money to release them. I really want to go home.” Moises came to the Kandara bridge flyover in December waiting to be taken to the deportation center. But on Dec. 25 he and the rest of the Filipinos under the Kandara bridge flyover were forced by the police to vacate the area. “For many days we were wandering with all these women and children. One day we all collectively took the public bus, paid SR2 each and came here. Some came in taxis. We have been trying to request the consulate authorities to get us out of here immediately.” The Filipino workers claim to have been in this area for more than a week now. “On Sunday Passports Department officials took two busloads of peoples away. They took mostly women and children. We have been left with mostly men since then. But everyday the number keeps increasing. Many charities and NGOs keep dropping off food and essential supplies. The consulate does provide food, water and some medicines,” Moises said. “Al-Baik and Tazaj have also sent in supplies. This morning Jollibee's sent in breakfast and we are really grateful to all the people who keep chipping in whatever they have,” he added. Poor sanitation conditions are making things worse and some of the Filipinos say that they fear for their health. “There are 200 of us and we can go to the toilet only five times a day, the only time the mosque is open. There are many mosquitoes now and things are getting tougher,” Moises explained. Leo Tito Ausan, Jr., Consul (Political, Economic and Special Concerns) at the Consulate General of the Philippines in Jeddah said, “As long as the Filipino nationals need any assistance or support from us, we are ready to provide it.” The labor attaché from this consulate has been visiting the commanding officers at the Passport Department and the Passport Directorate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been extremely cooperative in getting vehicles to transport the stranded Filipinos to the deportation center.” “However,” he added, “as soon as the numbers of illegals are reduced here, they increase again. Thanks to the cooperation of the Passport Department we are able to sort this out on a comparatively quicker basis because of which we have noticed that illegal Filipinos even from other parts of the Kingdom are now in Jeddah seeking repatriation. Our task is an arduous one but we are trying to work overtime to process travel documents so that those in the deportation center can leave the Kingdom for the Philippines as soon as possible.”
