Philippines plans repatriation of 1,200 more OFWs from Middle East

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. welcomed repatriated Filipinos from the Middle East at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on March 23.

The Philippine government is preparing to bring home at least 1,200 more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Middle East as war in the region disrupts flights, supply chains, and daily life for millions of migrants.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac said authorities are seeing a steady rise in repatriation requests, with more Filipinos seeking help as conditions on the ground remain uncertain.

“We have an increasing number… At least 1,200 [have asked] to be repatriated in the coming days,” he told reporters.

The planned repatriations add to government efforts to help Filipinos affected by the escalating tensions. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in a statement said there have been 1,262 repatriation requests, underscoring growing concern among workers in the region.

A key challenge has been restricted airspace across parts of the Middle East, complicating evacuation plans.

Countries such as Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain have limited flight availability, forcing Philippine authorities to explore alternative routes.

“The challenges continue with those with closed airspace — there’s Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain,” Mr. Cacdac said. “The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has more flights, so we could charter out there.”

The UAE has emerged as a critical transit hub due to its relatively open air corridors and large Filipino population.

Authorities said chartered flights from the UAE would be deployed in succession as part of a sustained repatriation effort.

The scale of the operation reflects the Philippines’ deep labor ties with the region. Government data show about 2.4 million Filipinos live and work across the Middle East, with the largest concentrations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, followed by Qatar and Kuwait.

On Monday, 343 Filipinos from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia arrived at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City near the Philippine capital. The group included both workers and their dependents.

Mr. Cacdac said 234 Filipinos including their dependents came from Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, while 109 came from Saudi Arabia.

They were received by Mr. Marcos, signaling the government’s continued focus on the welfare of overseas workers amid the crisis.

Mr. Cacdac said a portion of the returnees — those coming from Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain — had to travel over land for several hours to reach safer exit points, highlighting the operational complexity of the evacuations.

“It was a land-crossing effort, and it took on average about seven to eight hours to get to Riyadh,” he said.

Since early March, the Department of Migrant Workers has facilitated the return of about 1,600 Filipinos, including both workers and their families.

Despite the deteriorating security situation, the government has so far held off on imposing a deployment ban.

Mr. Cacdac said this decision hinges on official travel alert levels, which have not yet been raised to a point that would trigger mandatory restrictions.

“The embassies and ourselves have issued advisories, and the DFA has also released safety protocols,” he added.

The escalating conflict in the Middle East has placed millions of migrant workers in the region, including Filipinos, in increasingly precarious situations, as canceled flights, missile strikes and attacks on oil hubs disrupt livelihoods and mobility. — Adrian H. Halili