Foreigners affected by Middle East tensions granted visa extensions
As tensions in the Middle East continue, the Philippine government has now granted visa relief to foreigners cancellation of outbound flights.
In a statement by the Department of Justice, Secretary Frederick Vida has signed a department order directing the Bureau of Immigration to allow foreigners whose visas expired last Feb. 28 to legally stay in the Philippines until April 1.
This comes with no additional payment of any fees, fines and penalties.
"This is the Philippine government’s simple way of extending relief not only to those directly affected by the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East, but also a compassionate gesture of support to stand in solidarity with the whole world during this difficult time of socio-economic and political upheavals," Vida stated.
The agency highlighted that the initiative shows the Philippines’ "commitment to humanity in times of global crisis."
Meanwhile, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration announced that a total of 41 distressed and stranded overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain are now set to return to the Philippines via a special chartered flight they organized.
The chartered flight is scheduled to depart from Riyadh to Manila on March 14 to safely bring home OFWs who sought assistance from the government to return to the country and reunite with their families.
According to them, the government has provided various welfare assistance to the OFWs while their repatriation is being arranged. This includes help with travel documentation, temporary accommodation, transportation assistance, and other immediate needs while they await their return home.
"Ang pangunahing layunin ng repatriation operation na ito ay matiyak ang kaligtasan ng ating mga OFW at maihatid sila nang ligtas pabalik sa kanilang mga pamilya sa Pilipinas," OWWA said.
In another update, they shared that 442 Filipinos from the UAE have now safely arrived in the country aboard a government-assisted flight.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. previously urged all government agencies to extend full support to OFWs, especially those who are affected by the tensions in the Middle East.
Conflict in the region escalated after Israel, with support from the United States, carried out airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28 that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The resulting retaliatory attacks have destabilized the region and rattled global markets.
If you need assistance, here is a list of Emergency contact numbers for Pinoys in the Middle East.