PH Embassy Sends Home 10 Distressed OFWs and Children from Lebanon

Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat (center) sent off repatriates at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BRHIA) on 11 October 2022. (Beirut PE photo)

BEIRUT 17 October 2022 — The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon sent home 10 distressed Filipino nationals, six adult female workers and four minors, on 11 October 2022. The Embassy has repatriated a total of 22 distressed nationals in the third quarter of this year.

The repatriates expressed their gratitude for the Embassy's assistance during these trying times in Lebanon. Jane (real identity concealed) and her three young children are among the repatriates. Like other undocumented migrants in Lebanon, Jane braves the daily struggles of making a living along with child rearing.

Close to 4,000 OFWs from Lebanon have been repatriated since the onset of the pandemic and the crisis in the country. The Embassy emphasizes the importance of prioritizing the assistance to undocumented workers and their children, being the most vulnerable to the negative impacts of the country’s socioeconomic conditions.

In coordination with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), repatriates will be provided with quarantine accommodation and onward flights to their respective hometown in the Philippines.

With around 17,000 Filipino remaining in Lebanon, the Embassy continuously offers individual exit clearance endorsements for undocumented and distressed Filipino workers, along with other forms of assistance. END

Repatriates line up in preparation for their departure from BRHIA. (Beirut PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.beirutpe.dfa.gov.ph,  https://www.facebook.com/PHinLebanon/.