DFA: 128 distressed Filipinos from UAE arrive in PHL

Over 100 distressed Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates arrived in the country on Monday, Jan. 27, the DFA said./DFA/

(Eagle News) — Over 100 distressed Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates arrived in the country on Monday, Jan. 27, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

In a statement, the DFA said of the 128 who arrived, 115 were from Abu Dhabi while 13 were from Dubai.

The Filipinos were welcomed by representatives from the  Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and its member agencies, such as the Bureau of Immigration, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Representatives from the Technical Education Skills Development Authority were also present to provide information on free skills training programs.

“While we welcome the safe return of our distressed kababayans, we also make an appeal to everyone to be mindful of the dangers of human trafficking and to stay away from illegal recruiters,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Y. Arriola said.

The DFA said it provided legal advice to the distressed Filipinos, and shouldered the maintenance and operating costs of the shelters in the UAE where most of them were previously accommodated.

The agency added their travel documents were also free of charge, and their exit visas and related costs, as well as their airfares up to their respective home provinces were paid for by the government.