MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday, November 6, said Filipinos can soon expect good news after talks on Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on illegal workers.

“It will have a good ending,” Binay said in an interview with reporters Wednesday.

Binay refused to disclose the good news, and requested the public to wait until Wednesday night or Thursday, November 7.

This, he said, is the most he can say: The news is, “hopefully, in protection of our Filipino workers in general.”

Binay, the presidential adviser for overseas Filipino workers’ concerns, is in touch with Saudi Arabia’s labor minister.

Saudi Arabia began a crackdown on illegal workers on Sunday, November 3, after an extended grace period ended.

Illegal workers face up to two years in prison and fines of at least 100,000 riyal or $27,000.

New Saudi rules

On Monday, November 4, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh published new rules on illegal workers.

One of these is that the Saudi government prohibits deported workers from returning. (READ: Saudi bans deported OFWs from returning.)

“Any deported foreigner shall be prohibited from entering the Kingdom in accordance with periods and procedures specified in regulations to be issued pursuant to a decision by the Ministry of Interior,” the Saudi government stated in its new rules. 

Thousands of illegal Filipino workers will likely lose their jobs, and get deported.

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas pegs the number of irregular workers in Saudi Arabia at 20,000.

Citing Philippine statistics in 2012, the International Organization for Migration says 24.4% of OFWs – the highest percentage – work in Saudi Arabia. (READ: PH migration report: Number of OFWs increasing.) – Rappler.com