Syria agrees to waive exit requirements for fleeing OFWs

The Syrian government has agreed to waive its exit requirements for 140 Filipino workers who will be returning home to the Philippines beginning Monday due to the escalating violence in the troubled Middle East state, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.


Syrian officials made this commitment following a meeting in Damascus with Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, who was deployed to negotiate with Syria’s government for the relaxation of requirements for the fleeing Filipinos workers.


Philippine officials will no longer have to pay the exit visa fees, penalties, and other requirements for the departing workers, saving the government over $ 100,000.00, the DFA said.


The waiver of fee also fast tracks the repatriation process, it said.


An exit visa is required for each departing foreign worker and securing it is usually a tedious process.


Seguis said the 140 Filipinos will be sent back to Manila in batches in the next two days.


This is the largest batch of workers to come home from Syria since the unrest started in March 2011.


A civil war has engulfed the Arab nation and the Al-Assad regime has continued to step up its offensives against civilians and rebels despite an array of sanctions and condemnations by the United Nations, the United States and its Western and Middle East allies.


Between 8,000 to 9,000 Filipino workers, based in the critical areas of Damascus, Homs, Daraa, Aleppo, and Idlib, are still in Syria, the DFA said.


The Syrian government assured Seguis that it will assist in the repatriation of 1,404 more Filipinos who have signified their intention to come home.


Syria likewise agreed to facilitate the repatriation of other Filipinos who will seek the assistance of the Philippine Embassy in Damascus in the coming days.


Twenty-one Filipinos have arrived over the weekend, while other batches of workers will arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1. Eighty-two will arrive on board three flights this afternoon until late evening, 27 on July 31 and 10 on August 1.


The total number of repatriated Filipinos would reach 1,993 after this week’s repatriation is completed, Seguis said.


Filipinos departing Syria will be assisted by Philippine embassy personnel and will be escorted by members of the Philippine government’s Rapid Response Team to the Damascus International Airport.


Seguis hopes to convince more Filipinos to join the government-organized repatriation as the armed conflict has spilled over to other parts of the country.


As the violence in Syria escalates, the DFA urged the families of Filipinos in Syria to provide the department with updated information regarding their relatives' current location and contact details in Syria so Philippine Embassy officials can help track and rescue them.


Information campaign on the ongoing evacuation through text messages, information flyers, and media advertisements have been activated while Philippine officials continue to coordinate with Filipino community leaders and groups.-Black Pearl (July 30, 2012)