Seeking another extension of amnesty, Jejomar Binay, vice president and presidential adviser for Overseas Filipino Workers’ concerns, has sent a letter to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. “I have written a letter to appeal for another extension of the deadline for our OFWs to correct their working status in the Kingdom,” Binay said. OFW organizations in the Kingdom support Binay’s plea. “There are still many expatriates who have been unable to legalize their status,” Abdul Ghafar Dimalutang, vice president of the Riyadh-based OFW Congress told Arab News. “OFWs have complained of dire overcrowding at the main offices.” Separately, the Philippine government has sent two senior officials for assistance in the legalization process of its nationals. “The officials will help with status correction procedures and repatriation,” Philippine Ambassador Ezzedin Tago told Arab News. “Jesus Yabes, foreign undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, has already arrived from the Philippines,” said Tago. They will hold talks with Saudi Social Welfare and Immigration officials to follow up on the condition of illegal Filipinos in the Kingdom. Meanwhile, prominent religious figures called on the government Wednesday to reconsider the correction status of Saudi-born foreigners as the grace period comes to an end, describing these foreigners as “Saudi by instinct.” Their calls have come amid Labor Ministry warnings that the grace period will not be extended for a second time. “Deportation for this group is like rooting out a tree that has absorbed the scent of this field,” a scholar tweeted. In his tweet, another scholar spoke of the exceptional one-year extension given to Burmese nationals who were born and raised in the Kingdom and foreign mothers of Saudis and called for naturalizing Saudi-born and raised individuals or granting them residency status without sponsorship. “Some are in their 50s and are threatened with deportation,” he said. Both scholars have a strong presence on social media networks, with over 10 million followers on Twitter.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:22:53 +0000
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