Over 12,000 illegally staying Pinoys in Jordan have 2 months to correct status

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz is urging the over 12,000 Filipinos who are illegally staying in Jordan to take advantage of the the 60-day amnesty period approved by the Jordan Ministry of Labor to correct their status.

“I urge all OFWs whose stay in Jordan are irregular to heed the Jordan government’s offer of amnesty and legalize their stay,” said Baldoz in a statement Friday. “This is for your own good.”

The advice is specifically given to Filipinos who lost their work visas, residency permits, and whose status are irregular. Migrants who entered Jordan with expired recruitment contracts or those sentenced with deportation may also avail of the amnesty.

Baldoz said concerned Filipino workers may legalize their stay by visiting the nearest Labor Directorates of the Ministry of Labor.

Special conditions, however, are applied to workers who plan on transferring from one industry to another, according to Labor Attaché Florenda Herrera.

“As to the transferees, the exception are workers who transfer to the agriculture sector and those who transfer from the so-called Qualifying Industrial Zone to any other industry sector,” Herrera said in a report submitted to the Department of Labor and Employment.

She noted that the amnesty applied to all foreign workers in Jordan who haven’t left the country but received Social Security or reimbursements for the termination of their employment.

First-time workers, regardless of their status, and migrant workers who did not obtain valid work permits are also covered by the amnesty.

While Jordan will continue to process the adoption of licensed professionals, Qualifying Industrial Zones, and domestic workers, it will stop receiving requests for recruitment of all nationalities.

An estimated 16,519 regular and 12,996 irregular Filipinos were working in Jordanas of the first quarter of 2014, according to DOLE. Of this number, 17,429 were domestic workers; 3,505 were professionals; and 3,891 were semi-skilled. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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