Manila: The Philippines has suspended the deployment of workers to Saudi Arabia after it received reports that their employers and recruiters were making them pay for Covid-19 testing, quarantine and insurance upon arrival in the kingdom.
Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello said in a May 27 order that his department will issue an official statement on resumption of deployment "after this matter has been clarified accordingly".
It was not immediately clear how many Filipinos bound for Saudi Arabia would be directly affected.
More than a million Filipinos work in Saudi Arabia, many in construction or as domestic helpers or nurses.
Saudi Arabia's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside office hours.
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