MANILA — All Filipinos living in Iraq were ordered to return to the Philippines after the highest threat alert was raised in the country amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, an official said on Wednesday.
“Ang marching order sa amin ay mandatory repatriation,” said Philippine Embassy in Iraq Chargé d’Affaires Jomar Sadie.
With Alert Level 4 raised, mandatory repatriation is ordered. It is issued when there is large-scale internal conflict or a full-blown external attack in the area, according to the Foreign Affairs Department.
Malacañang said Filipinos in Iraq will not be forced to go home; they can opt to be evacuated to a safe place instead. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said one of the options is to send them to Saudi Arabia, where there are frigates awaiting their arrival.
“Repatriation is out of the question when there is a shooting war. We have to place them in a safe place. Hindi naman sila kailangang umuwi habang nagkakaroon ng giyera doon o digmaan. Hindi mo naman maiuuwi iyun talaga,” he told CNN Philippines.
[Translation: They don’t have to go home to the Philippines when there is an ongoing war. You can’t bring them home anyway.]
He said repatriation remains the Philippine government’s “end goal.”
The government said it is ready to roll out a mass repatriation for the over 4,000 Filipinos living and working in the Middle East, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Hans Cacdac said Tuesday.
Military officials are also considering deploying C-130 planes and tapping the services of cruise ships. The Philippine Coast Guard said its BRP Gabriela Silang is sailing to either to Oman or Dubai to carry out repatriation missions.
Conflict between US and Iran continues to rise after US President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike that killed Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, Iraq on January 3. On Wednesday, Iran fired missiles at two bases housing US troops in Iraq.
Keep in touch with the embassy
Filipinos in Iraq were urged to contact the embassy following the repatriation order.
“We know the options and choices of our citizens abroad may change. They may choose to wait. The key is to keep in close touch with the embassy so they’re properly informed,” Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Hans Cacdac said.
Sadie reiterated the importance of coordinating with the embassy located in Baghdad. He said there are options for the processing of Filipinos who wish to go home, such as asking for the help of their employers or by personally contacting the embassy, especially if they’re not employed.
There are 4,204 Filipinos in Iraq — 4,000 of them are undocumented or irregular migrants — according to DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers data as of June 2019.
Filipinos in Iraq may contact the embassy at 0781 606 6822 and 0751 616 7838. They may also contact the embassy via email through baghdad.pe@dfa.gov.ph or embaphilbaghdad.secretary1@gmail.com, or through its Facebook page, Philippine Embassy in Iraq. (CNN.PH)
