07 June 2021 - The Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Lebanon repatriated twenty-six (26) overseas Filipinos (OFs) on 06 June 2021, which included seven (7) infants and children.  The repatriation coincides with the National Day of Migrant Workers, which celebrates the valuable contribution of OFs to the country.  Through activity, the Embassy upholds the Philippine foreign policy pillar of protecting the rights and promoting the welfare of Filipinos overseas.

The repatriates expressed their gratitude to the newly arrived Philippine Ambassador to the Lebanese Republic, Honorable Raymond R. Balatbat, for the Embassy's efforts in processing their respective immigration clearances and resolving their legal cases to allow them to return home.  They are to be assisted by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for their onward travel to their respective provinces upon their arrival at the port of entry in the Philippines.

In 2020 alone, the Embassy brought home nearly 3,000 migrant workers who availed of the free voluntary mass repatriation program.  This recent batch is first among the series of repatriation programs slated this year to bring home the remaining Filipinos in Lebanon.

The Embassy remains committed to helping distressed Filipinos in Lebanon by continuously offering repatriation assistance, especially to undocumented migrant workers, many of whom have been victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment.  All have lost their jobs and income opportunities during the pandemic and economic crisis in Lebanon.

The public is constantly reminded of the deployment ban on newly-hired Filipino workers bound for Lebanon.  Any active forms of recruitment of Filipinos to work in Lebanon are therefore strictly prohibited and punishable by law.  END.