THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said it suspended processing of applications for all new hires to Sudan, including those for seafarers taking ship in Sudan, due to security concerns.

In a board resolution released to reporters, the POEA said the action follows receipt of an advisory from the Department of Foreign Affair (DFA) indicating the imposition of Alert Level 2 on Sudan, setting into motion preliminary restrictions on travel by Filipinos.

The DFA had cited the “risky and uncertain state of land transport” potentially affecting Filipino workers travelling to their job sites.

Protests have swept Sudan starting in late 2018 with protestors demanding the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir.

It said the suspension does not cover returning workers, whose papers will still be processed, with no restrictions on their deployment.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR