23 March 2015 – With the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Philippine Embassies in Beirut, Lebanon and Damascus, Syria successfully repatriated to the Philippines a total of 21 Filipinos from Syria via Lebanon on March 16.
An Embassy team composed of Consul Dennis John C. Briones, Consular and Assistance-To-Nationals (ATN) Section Head, and ATN/Legal Mr. Junaid Ali traveled to the Masna’a border to receive the transiting 25 Filipino nationals and escort them all the way to the Rafik Hariri International Airport (RHIA) in Beirut where they boarded their flight to Manila. IOM personnel were also present to extend assistance. This group of repatriates was scheduled to arrive in Manila on March 17, at 3:10 P.M. via Qatar Airways flight QR 926.
This is the 61st cross-border repatriation operation undertaken by the two Embassies since it started in December 2012. The departure of the 21 Filipino nationals brings the total number of Filipinos repatriated from Syria via Lebanon to 2,581 or nearly half of the total number of Filipinos repatriated so far from the war-torn country. Overall, 5,625 Filipinos have been repatriated from Syria. END