More undocumented Filipinos expected to avail of Saudi amnesty program

September 24, 2017

The Philippines thanked on Sunday Saudi Arabia for extending an amnesty program, which will allow hundreds more of undocumented Filipinos in the kingdom to go home.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano personally conveyed Manila's appreciation to Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir on the sides of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday.

"The Philippine Government would like to thank you very much for the extension of your amnesty program," Cayetano told Minister Al-Jubeir after the latter delivered his country's statement before the General Assembly.

He said the extension of the amnesty program is expected to benefit more than 6,000 undocumented Filipinos who were not able to avail themselves of the initial amnesty offer.

A total of 8,467 undocumented Filipinos availed themselves of the initial amnesty offer and were repatriated in various batches by the DFA.

"We really appreciate this gesture of the Saudi government that would allow us to bring home many more of our kababayans who are still stranded there," Cayetano said.

According to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola, the extension was in response to the request of the Philippines and several other countries for an extension of the amnesty program that began on March 29.

"This is the extension to the initial 90-day amnesty given in March that was extended for 30 days and now extended for the second time," Arriola said. DMS