The distressed OFWs and their children are being brought home by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) from Jeddah through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) accelerated repatriation program.
The group comprises 57 women, 22 men, and 26 children, according to OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon.
Dimzon added that an additional 500 other OFWs will be repatriated from Jeddah as soon as their employers waive their objections to their deportation.
She promised to lead an OWWA team in helping the OFWs clear customs and immigration procedures at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Under Saudi Arabia’s immigration laws, foreign workers who fail to fulfill their employment contracts are automatically considered as overstaying or illegal workers.
“The workers are required to settle their issues with their employers before they can leave Saudi Arabia,” the OWWA said in a statement. “Some Filipinos entered the Middle East as tourists.”
To accommodate a large number of Filipinos awaiting repatriation, the OWWA is renting space at the Hajj Terminal.and is subsidizing their meals.
Workers cleared for deportation by Saudi immigration are booked on earliest available flights.
According to the OWWA, the OFWs and their children will be offered temporary stay, meals, medical check-ups, and stress debriefings at the agency’s halfway house in Pasay City while awaiting transport arrangements to their hometowns.
The DOLE will also brief them on the various livelihood assistance programs being offered by the government.
No comments:
Post a Comment