The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon sent home ten (10) distressed Filipino nationals comprising of six (6) adult female workers and four (4) minors on 11 October 2022. The Embassy repatriated a total of 22 distressed nationals in the third quarter of this year.

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

Repatriates expressed their gratitude for the Embassy's assistance during these trying times in Lebanon. Jane, not her real name, is among this batch of repatriates along with her three (3) minor children. Like other undocumented migrants in Lebanon, she braves the daily struggles of making a living along with child rearing.

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

Repatriates line up in preparation for their departure from BRHIA.

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. 

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