Saudi 'blacklist' of runaway Pinoys slammed | ABS-CBN News Online Beta
Ezzedin Tago
ABS-CBN News Online Beta
| Jun | 26 |
| 2009 |
Saudi 'blacklist' of runaway Pinoys slammed
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 06/25/2009 3:05 PM
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An alliance of migrant of workers is alarmed by the alleged new immigration rule in Saudi Arabia that blacklists foreign workers reported by their employers to have run away.
John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East Regional Coordinator, said the new immigration rule is discriminatory and violates workers’ rights since "blacklisted" Pinoys could be summarily deported without due process.
“It grossly disregarded the fact that many foreign workers including our OFWs ran away from their employers because the latter have been treating them like slaves and thus been abused, and subjected to other forms of maltreatment and labor malpractices,” said Monterona in a letter to Philippine Ambassador Antonio Villamor and Philippine Consul General Ezzedin Tago.
Based on records from Migrante-M.E. in Saudi Arabia, there were a total of 1,793 cases of OFWs requesting repatriation as of December 31, 2008. Of the number, 566 ran away from their employers and 1,019 were in various distress situation.
Monterona said OFWs who seek shelter at the Philippine Embassy-run Bahay Kalinga and welfare centers were forced to escape their abusive employers. These workers, he said, were not properly paid, and lived under unsafe conditions, and worked more than the required 8-hour without being paid the extra work.
“Therefore, it should be erring and abusive employers that need to be blacklisted in hiring our workers, not the other way around,” he pointed out.
Monterona said embassy officials should file a diplomatic protest to the new immigration rule. "We therefore urge your good office to make proper representation via diplomatic course with the host government’s agency concerned to re-consider and look into the detail of each and every cases of run away OFW if she or he really deserves to be blacklisted," he said.
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Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah
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