PH Embassy, Kuwait Government Continue to Repatriate More Overseas Filipinos
Undocumented overseas Filipino workers avail themselves the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait’s Assisted Repatriation Program for distressed overseas Filipinos. (Kuwait PE photo)
KUWAIT 18 March 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait announced on 10 March 2019 that it has successfully repatriated a group of 44 undocumented overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) last 07 March 2019.
The said repatriates are part of the Embassy’s Assisted Repatriation Program for distressed overseas Filipinos, a joint program of the Embassy and both the Illegal Residency Monitoring and Immigration Departments of Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior.
The program aims to repatriate overseas Filipinos who were charged with absconding or expired visa cases at the Immigration Department, without having to be detained.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako, sa ngalan ng aking mga kasamahan dito, sa lahat ng mga opisyal ng Embahada ng Pilipinas dito sa Kuwait na mula simula ay tinulungan at inalalayan kami para makauwi kami sa Pilipinas para makasama ang mga mahal namin sa buhay (I am grateful, on behalf of my colleagues here, to all officials of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait who have since been assisted and supported us for our return to the Philippines to be with our loved ones),” said OFW Laura Belandres, who was among the 44 overseas Filipinos repatriated that evening.
Forty-four OFWs were also repatriated on 13 February 2019 through the Embassy’s facility.
“The Kuwait government has been very supportive of the Embassy’s assisted repatriation program for distressed overseas Filipinos. For that I am very grateful, I would also like to thank the indefatigable officer and staff of the Philippine Embassy for their commitment and dedication in making this program successful,” Chargé d’ Affaires, a.i. Mohd. Noordin Pendosina N. Lomondot said.
Since January 2019, the Embassy has also assisted in the medical repatriation of a total of seven OFWs with different medical conditions, to join their family and loved ones in the Philippines.
The medical repatriates were aided and monitored by Embassy’s Assistance to Nationals (ATN) Unit-Medical Response Team.
“We would like to thank the Illegal Residency Monitoring and Immigration Departments of Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior for the assistance they have provided the Embassy in making such repatriations successful,” said Third Secretary and Vice Consul Charleson C. Hermosura
Two of the seven medical repatriates also had travel bans against them, but were assisted by Embassy’s ATN Unit. Their cases were then resolved and the travel bans were subsequently lifted after the Embassy, in coordination with Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, made all necessary representations to provide them assistance. END
For more information, visit www.kuwaitpe.dfa.gov.ph, www.philembassykuwait.gov.kw or https://www.facebook.com/PEinKuwait/.
Personnel from the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait orient the overseas Filipino workers, shortly before their repatriation back to the Philippines. (Kuwait PE photo)
Medical repatriation by the Embassy’s assistance-to-nationals team of OFW Leonardo Santos Alumno. (Kuwait PE photo)