64 overstaying Filipinos in UAE repatriated under amnesty program

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The first batch composed of 64 overstaying Filipinos were repatriated Thursday, the Philippine missions here said in a joint statement.

The batch included one with kidney failure who had a dialysis a day before they flew and another who had been in hiding for almost six years. 

Alfonso A. Ver, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, said 35 of the overstayers were from Abu Dhabi while the remaining 29 were from Dubai. 

He met with the repatriates from Abu Dhabi before they travelled to Dubai International Airport for their flight during which he expressed gratitude to the UAE government for waiving fines and penalties and for allowing Filipinos and other expatriates to leave the country with dignity and the option to re-enter UAE in the future with appropriate visa. 

The Filipino repatriates in return were grateful for the opportunity to finally return home to the Philippines without paying any fines and penalties. One specific repatriate, who is suffering from kidney failure, was thankful that despite having no legal documents, medical needs were accommodated. The repatriate even underwent dialysis a day before the scheduled repatriation.

Consul General Marford Angeles of the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai said majority of the overseas Filipino workers had previously absconded from their employers and were unable to secure permanent employment in the UAE. He said one of the repatriates from Dubai had overstayed for 2,118 days or almost six years. 

There was another Filipino who had overstayed for a total of 5,218 days or more than five years, according to the joint statement.

The 64 Filipino repatriates were assisted at the Dubai airport by the consul general along with top embassy and consulate officials. They flew on a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight.

The repatriation was a coordinated operation under the “One Country Team UAE” setup composed of the Philippine Embassy, Consulate General and the Migrant Workers Office (MWO).

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), through MWO and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), funded the airfare of the repatriates. 

Financial assistance will also be provided by DMW and OWWA upon their arrival in Manila, according to the joint statement. 

The amnesty program started on Sept. 1, 2024 and will end on Oct. 31, 2024. More than 2,000 overstaying Filipinos availed of the program in its first week. —KBK, GMA Integrated News