More than 40,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are currently stranded in Manila following the government’s deployment ban to several Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Israel, and Lebanon.
The affected workers include newly hired household service workers staying in agency accommodation centers, as well as returning or rehired OFWs who are unable to resume their jobs due to limited flight availability in the region. Others have already been sent back to their home provinces while awaiting further instructions.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) reported that over 4,000 OFWs and their dependents have already been repatriated. This figure also includes stranded Filipino tourists from Dubai and Jordan who were assisted back to the Philippines.
Migration expert Emmanuel Geslani warned that deployment to the Middle East is expected to decline significantly in the second and third quarters of 2026. He cited ongoing repairs and rehabilitation of oil refineries in several countries, which could lead to reduced oil production and lower demand for foreign labor.
Meanwhile, a total of 88 Filipinos from Qatar were repatriated over a two-day operation. On April 4, 67 individuals—comprising 54 OFWs and 13 family members—arrived in the Philippines, followed by another 21 individuals, including 20 OFWs and one dependent, the next day.
The DMW said all returnees received financial assistance prior to departure. Upon arrival, they were provided with immediate support such as food, financial aid, medical services, transportation to their respective provinces, and temporary shelter. These efforts were carried out in coordination with OWWA, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and Philippine embassies in the region.
Source OneNews
