Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. Photo by DFA

MANILA, Philippines – No Filipinos have been arrested in Saudi Arabia as the government cracked down on undocumented foreign workers, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

The amnesty for illegal migrant workers in Saudi Arabia was not extended after it expired November 3.  DFA secretary Albert del Rosario told reporters that there have been no reports yet of arrested Filipinos.

Some 10,000 to 11,000 illegal Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have been issued travel documents. The DFA has repatriated around 5,000 and there are 1,500 more awaiting clearance from immigration, Del Rosario said.

He, however, could not determine the total number of undocumented OFWs in Saudi Arabia.

Del Rosario said that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are assisting OFWs that have applied for repatriation in Saudi.

He estimated the number of Filipinos in Saudi Arabia to be 660,000.

Several OFWs who returned to the country Monday claimed they were abused by Saudi authorities who rounded up illegal immigrants and chained them.
Del Rosario said that they were checking out these reports.

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