Nearly 100 recruitment agencies, companies and employers in Saudi Arabia have been barred from hiring Filipino workers, reports The Philippine Star. Labour attaché Fidel Macauyag reported that the 39 recruitment agencies, 18 companies and 40 employers were suspended as part of the Philippine government’s efforts to curb welfare cases among overseas Filipino workers. “This is part of our campaign to cleanse the recruitment agencies. We have over 600 Saudi recruitment agencies, but maybe we can compress this number to 100 or even less in the coming months,” Macauyag said. He went on to explain that the Philippine Overseas Labour Office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is purging delinquent recruitment agencies and strengthening onsite verification of employers. “We do not need many recruitment agencies, we just need a few good ones, which can be our partners,” he added. Macauyag added the overseas labour office in Riyadh has formed “Team Camel” to help save distressed overseas Filipino workers and strictly implements onsite verification of companies to ensure compliance with Philippine recruitment regulations.