PH Embassy Continues Repatriate Undocumented Filipinos in Moscow

Embassy Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Officer Christian Baggas briefs a group of undocumented Filipinos on the deportation orders which were issued to them by the Russian immigration court in early April 2019. The deportation order is necessary for foreigners with expired visas to exit the country. (Moscow PE photo)

MOSCOW 26 April 2019 – Undocumented Filipinos in Russia continue to seek assistance from the Philippine Embassy in Moscow to be repatriated on 17 April 2019.

In 2019, the Embassy already assisted dozens of Filipinos without visas and stable employment to return home. The number of Filipinos seeking repatriation assistance increased in comparison to the same period in 2018.

The Embassy continues to reach out to Filipinos who are in distress due to their undocumented status. These are the ones most vulnerable to being arrested by Russian immigration police and also don’t have access to a lot of basic services that foreigners living legally in Russia are entitled to, primarily health care.

“We see more of our kababayans seeking our counsel to help them understand their vulnerable situation,” said Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos D. Sorreta. “This is partly thanks to our continued efforts to reach out to the Filipino community through our social media and various Embassy activities.”

 “Through the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs – Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs, we are able to send more distressed kababayans home, where they can start over fresh,” Ambassador Sorreta added.

“We would always brief deportees before they leave Russia. We tell them that should they seek opportunities abroad in the future, we hope they would choose to be legally documented overseas workers so they can safely work and properly live in other countries,” he stated.

In the first quarter of 2019, more than 30 Filipinos have availed of the voluntary deportation assistance facilitated by the Embassy’s Assistance-to-Nationals Section. Many of the repatriates struggled to find stable jobs especially after their Russian visas expired. Most also fell victim to scammers or agents who offer illegally-acquired visas to overstaying foreigners. The Embassy calls on all Filipinos to stop supporting and participating in illegal visa facilitation and recruitment activities. END

Vice Consul Catherine Alpay and ATN Officer Christian Baggas meet for the last time on 17 April 2019 with a group of Filipinos to wish them well before their repatriation. (Moscow PE photo)

The Philippine Embassy in Moscow repatriated two Filipinos in April who were scammed by a visa facilitation agency in Istanbul. The victims paid huge sums and were sent to Moscow with a false promise that an associate in the city would help them get new visas so they could re-enter Turkey. They were unable to leave Russia before their tourist visas expired due to lack of funds.

The Embassy assisted the two individuals with their deportation proceedings and provided them with accommodations at the Embassy’s ATN Shelter during their stay in Russia.

Photo shows Embassy Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Officer Christian Baggas and Vice Consul Catherine Alpay pose with the Filipinos prior to their departure from Russia in mid-April.

For more information, visit www.moscowpe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinRussia/ or https://twitter.com/phlinrussia