Philippine government preparing shelters for OFW camping outside Jeddah Consulate.

By GMA News, on April 24th, 2013

 

Philippine officials in Jeddah are prepared to move to shelters by Friday some 300 women and children, who were among the more than 1,000 illegal Filipinos camping outside Manila’s consulate in the Saudi Arabian city.

However, Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said the campers are reluctant to leave as they all want to be housed in one facility.

“Our people in a way did not respond to this offer of an accommodation that includes food, blankets, etcetera because they want to be together in one place,” Hernandez said. “That’s a big challenge for us – to find a place, a big place that could accommodate about 1,000 Filipinos all together.”
In the Philippine government’s plan, a number would be accommodated inside the consulate and the others at a housing compound that was offered by a Saudi-based Syrian businessman.
By weekend, the consulate is expected to transfer majority of the campers to a bigger facility such as a school gymnasium pending approval from school administrators and the Saudi Ministry of Education, he said.

During their stay at the shelters, the Filipinos will be provided with food and other basic necessities, Hernandez said.

The Filipinos, frightened of being sent to jail for violation of Saudi immigration laws, have been camping outside the Philippine consulate for nearly two weeks amid ongoing crackdown by Saudi authorities on foreign nationals without valid work and residence permits.

Departure procedures are tedious as fines would have to be paid and exit documents must be secured before they are granted permission by Saudi authorities to leave Kingdom.
“It’s very tricky and challenging,” Hernandez admitted. “Even if we would like to repatriate our people, we cannot do that because of laws and regulations and the processes that we have to follow in Saudi Arabia.”

In the meantime, Hernandez said the Philippine government is “trying to do everything possible to provide them with the accommodation.”

The consulate has also distributed blankets, mosquito nets, insect sprays, garbage bags, food, water and other basic necessities to the campers. Medical assistance was also provided, Hernandez said.
Michaela del Callar, VVP, GMA News