DFA: Saudi employers now obliged to hand over to workers their passports, other docs

By GMA News, on May 14th, 2013

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said Saudi employers are now obliged to hand over to the worker all his personal documents – such as passports and residency permit (iqama) – upon request.

“Employers are also obligated to make sure that the residency permit (iqama) of workers are valid. Failure to do so is sufficient grounds for a worker to end their contractual relationship,” the DFA said in a press release on Tuesday.
The DFA made the statement as it issued guidelines on how undocumented Filipinos can take advantage of the concessions given by the Saudi government to correct their residency and labor status.

The Saudi Ministries of Interior and Labor announced on May 10 new concessions that allow undocumented workers to leave the country without penalties and come back if they obtain a valid working visa, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh said.
The concessions allow irregular workers to correct their status or leave the country without obtaining the required “No Objection Certificates” from their employers.
The DFA urged irregular Filipino workers to read the guidelines carefully and head to the nearest Passports Office (Jawazat) or Labor Office, depending on their status:

1. For illegal Filipino workers who need a Final Exit: Passports Office (Jawazat)
2. For absconded (“huroob”) workers wanting to return to their original employer or transfer to a new employer: Labor Office
3. For runaway household service workers wanting to return to their original individual employer or transfer to a new individual employer: Passports Office (Jawazat)
4. For runaway household service workers wanting to transfer to a private sector company: Labor Office
5. For Hajj and Umrah overstayers wanting to correct their status with original individual employer: Passports Office (Jawazat)
6. For Hajj and Umrah overstayers wanting to correct their status with private sector companies: Passports Office (Jawazat), then Labor Office

Numbers to call
The DFA said irregular OFWs may call the following numbers for further inquiries:

• Riyadh, Hail, Qassim, Northern Border, Al-Jouf: 054-591-7834
• Eastern Region: 050-126-9742
• Jeddah, and regions under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah (Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Tabuk, Al-Madinah, Abha, Jizan, Najran): 0555-219-613/0561-956-14

Options for irregular OFWs
The DFA explained that rregular OFWs have the following options:

• Workers can return to their original employer upon mutual agreement, or transfer to a new employer even without permission or consent of the original employer.
• Companies can correct the occupations of their workers during the grace period, free of charge.
• Runaway household workers (“huroob”) can return to their original individual employer or transfer to a new individual employer. The prospective individual employer may complete the procedure for the transfer of the worker through the Jawazat Offices (Saudi Passport Office).
• Household workers can also transfer to a private sector company through the Saudi Labor Offices.
• Illegal Filipino workers have the option to leave the country (final exit) instead, without the need to obtain No Objection Certificates from their current employers, provided that they do not have criminal charges or records against them. They will also be allowed to return to the country in the future if they are able to obtain valid working visas.
• Hajj and Umrah (pilgrims) overstayers who arrived in the Kingdom before July 04, 2008 can correct their status as either a household service worker or as private sector company worker. Overstaying Hajj and Umrah who arrived after that date may leave without penalties.

All penalties and fines for an illegal worker before April 6 this year will be waived, except for regular processing charges.
The DFA said the deadline for availing of these concessions is July 3 this year.
“After this deadline, the Saudi Government will resume its inspections and arrest and / or apply fines against violators – both employers and employees.
Meanwhile, private rights claims between a Filipino worker and his/her current employer will be settled through the court. This will not prevent the Filipino worker from transferring to a new employer, the DFA explained.

The DFA said there is no need to coordinate with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) for the transfer to a new employer or verify the new employment contract before the transfer.
“Filipinos who need to look for a prospective employer may also wish to check the Ministry of Labor’s www.redyellow.com.sa which has jobs posted with entities that are in the green or excellent zone. They may also call MOL customer service hotline, 920011884,” it noted.

Extended working hours
Meanwhile, the DFA said specific details of the guidelines are available in both Filipino and English on the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh’s website: www.philembassy-riyadh.org
“Affected OFWs may also contact the Saudi Ministry of Labor’s (MOL’s) customer service number, 920 001 173,” the DFA added.
It also noted that the MOL will be open from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. aside from its regular working hours.

Crackdown
The crackdown operations against undocumented workers in Saudi started on March 28 this year because of the “Saudization” policy (nitaqat) or the policy encouraging the employment of Saudi nationals in private firms.
The migrant workers advocacy group Migrante-Middle East said undocumented Filipinos started camping outside the Philippine Consulate on April 11, or five days after the Saudi King announced a three-month reprieve on the crackdown against illegal workers.
Saudi Arabia‘s King Abdullah on April 6 ordered a three-month delay to a crackdown on illegal migrant workers that has led to thousands of deportations.
Andrei Medina, Veronica Pulumbarit, GMA News