Gov’t eyes giving Filipino repatriates in Sudan ‘temporary jobs’ in Saudi Arabia — Ople

FILE PHOTO: Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople during one of the department’s media updates in this photo taken on January 27, 2023. Screenshot from Zoom

MANILA, Philippines — The government is looking into the possibility of giving Filipinos who left their jobs in war-stricken Sudan a temporary job in Saudi Arabia, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said on Tuesday.

“We are trying to explore the possibility that those who wish to be hired, instead of coming home…we’re looking at, and exploring the possibility of, temporary jobs for them in Saudi Arabia,” Ople said in a Palace briefing.

Ople also noted that most of the Filipinos working in Sudan are skilled professionals.

“We are working it out with our partners in Saudi Arabia if there is a possibility — because most of the workers based in Sudan are skilled professionals — we are trying to explore the possibility of temporary jobs in Saudi Arabia if that will be allowed by their government,” she also said.

“We are working this out, and we will have more concrete information once we are able to work this out,” she added.

The official earlier said a total of 327 out of  725 Overseas Filipino Workers requested to be repatriated.

Hostilities broke out on April 15 amid a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, killing at least 427 people, according to a Reuters report.

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