MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 5, 2013) – Filipino migrant rights group Migrante has urged Manila to investigate alleged abuses committed by Saudi immigration authorities on Filipino deportees in the Arab state.
Filipinos who arrived here from Saudi Arabia told their harrowing experiences from the hands of immigration people. They said many Filipinos were rounded up in Saudi on immigration charges and other alleged violations after the ultimatum for undocumented foreign workers ended on November 3.
Over a thousand Filipinos are stranded in Saudi and have put up tents outside the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah and there is no sign that the Aquino government would bring them home soon.
“The revelations made by OFW deportees Amor Roxas, 46, and Yvonne Montefeo, 32, should be taken seriously,” Migrante-Middle East and North Africa coordinator John Leonard Monterona, said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
Roxas and Montefeo who were among a group of 30 Filipino deportees, claimed they were treated like animals by Saudi authorities and that they and other Filipinos were arrested and chained inside a crowded prison.
Monterona said his group and many overseas Filipino workers or OFWs are demanding prompt and concrete action from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment to address allegations of abuses in Saudi Arabia.
“The DFA and DoLE should secure signed affidavits from OFW deportees detailing the circumstances and specific abuses and human rights violations. Then, a joint DFA-DoLE composite team should be tasked to study the OFW deportees affidavits to establish the grounds in filling diplomatic protest to Saudi govt. over abuses allegations,” Monterona said.
He also urged the DoLE and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to make it compulsory for the agencies to conduct psychological and stress de-briefing of all Filipino deportees as an integral part of its welfare services.
Just recently, M-MENA issued an appeal to the Saudi authorities to respect the rights and uphold the well-being of undocumented migrants.
“We are expecting an intense crackdown of all undocumented migrants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the coming days. The undocumented migrants should be treated humanely as there were reports of abuses, manhandling, slapping, kicking, during previous crackdown,” Monterona said.
He urged Saudi to ease up the imposition of immigration penalties and fines and instead implement swift deportation proceedings of apprehended undocumented migrants.
DoLE estimated around 10,000 undocumented OFWs in Saudi Arabia and that 5,000 of them have been repatriated so far.
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