Embassy shelter ‘is overcrowded’
By EUNICE del ROSARIO
Published: 7th April 2007
A RECORD number of workers are being sheltered at the Philippine Embassy, in Zinj. Eighty-three Filipinos, the majority housemaids, are currently housed in the shelter.
“More workers are coming in than going out,” said officials.
“An average of about three workers are sent back to the Philippines by the embassy per day, if we are lucky, but we also receive an average of three workers coming to our shelter every day seeking assistance,” said embassy case officer Geoffrey Puy.
“This is the most number of workers we have had at the shelter and this is probably due to the busy summer season of the airlines.
Embassy shelter ‘is overcrowded’
By EUNICE del ROSARIO
Published: 7th April 2007
A RECORD number of workers are being sheltered at the Philippine Embassy, in Zinj. Eighty-three Filipinos, the majority housemaids, are currently housed in the shelter.
“More workers are coming in than going out,” said officials.
“An average of about three workers are sent back to the Philippines by the embassy per day, if we are lucky, but we also receive an average of three workers coming to our shelter every day seeking assistance,” said embassy case officer Geoffrey Puy.
“This is the most number of workers we have had at the shelter and this is probably due to the busy summer season of the airlines.
“We are starting to experience difficulty in booking flights to the Philippines for these workers, because the majority of flights out of Bahrain to our country are already full.”
In December last year, the embassy recorded 82 workers “stranded” due to the busy festive season.
Back then, officials blamed the fact that Ramadan fell in late September, which is generally the time the embassy also receives many workers – mainly maids, who complain of being overworked by their employers.
“Also, generally the months from September to December are the busiest times for airlines, which makes it difficult for the embassy to find any bookings for them to go home,” said Mr Puy.
The embassy houses about 40 workers a month on an average and is able to send the majority of them home a few days or weeks after they seek assistance.
“We are crowded here at the embassy, but we manage somehow,” said Agustin Borja, the only male tenant at the shelter, who has been staying there for over six months now.
A former coffee shop supervisor, Mr Borja came to the embassy for help after he was accused of stealing BD2,000 at his work place.
“I worked at that coffee shop since 2001 and they accused me of stealing in September last year,” he said.
“A Bahraini man who was connected to the coffee shop advised that I visit the embassy as soon as possible because I was being wrongly accused.
“Six months down the road, I’m still fighting my employer for my passport and air ticket to go home.
“They have dropped the accusation and I told them I’m no longer filing charges, nor am I going to ask them for 21 days of unpaid salary or my indemnity, but they still have not given me back my passport and air ticket.
“I am grateful that we have an embassy here that really works hard for us.”
Officials said that Mr Borja was just one of the many workers who have been staying at the shelter for many months due to unco-operative employers.
Other than the Philippine Embassy, the Thai Embassy and the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) also have shelters for distressed workers.
Officials from the embassy and the society told the GDN that they have not seen any unusual influx of runaway workers lately.
Officials at the Indonesian Embassy said that they received at least five housemaids seeking help every day.
“Since we do not have a shelter like the Philippine Embassy, we try to help each worker with her problem immediately,” said an embassy spokesman.
“There has not been any unusual rise in the number of workers lately.”
Earlier this year, Philippine Embassy consul general Jose dela Rosa Burgos had urged Filipinos to “stop abusing Bahrain’s hospitality” as officials tried to stem the flow of runaway workers.
The embassy’s shelter, in Zinj, is now so overcrowded with runaways that it is asking them not to seek help unless they really need it, he said.
“Our message is to please do not run away for no valid reason.
“No job is perfect, no employer is perfect and no worker is perfect. “That’s just how things are.”
© Gulf Daily News
