Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have had their visas expired and overstaying in Saudi Arabia can now come home to the Philippines without incurring any legal fines or charges.
In accordance with Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Nayef’s “Nation Free of Violators” campaign to help undocumented expatriates regularize their status, this immigration initiative gives foreigners who are staying illegally in the country three months to leave the kingdom without paying fines or facing legal measures.
“The Nation Free of Violators campaign targets foreigners who have no residency or work permits or have not renewed them as well as those who entered Saudi Arabia with Haj, Umrah, visit or transit visas and failed to leave before their expiry,” various media outlets quoted Mansoor Al Turki, the spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, in saying during a press conference.
The grace period has already started on Wednesday, March 29.
All concerned agencies and departments were instructed by Prince Mohammad, who is also Saudi Arabia’s Interior Minister, to ease the departure of all foreigners who wished to leave.
Offenders will also be able to return later to work legally in Saudi Arabia since they would not go through the fingerprinting process usually applied to deportees who would not be allowed back into the kingdom.
For her part, Philippine Consulate Consul General Imelda Panolong urged concerned Filipino workers there to take advantage of the limited amnesty.
“Sa mga kababayan nating nasa Jeddah at sa buong Western Region ng Saudi Arabia, nagpapasalamat po tayo dahil magkakaroon na tayo ng three-month amnesty na magsisimula sa March 29 until June,” GMA News quoted her as saying.
“Samantalahin po natin ito. Kasama po sa amnesty ay mga overstayers ng Umrah, Hajj at visit visa, mga expired ang iqama o mga hindi nagkaroon ng iqama,” she noted.
