Over 400 Filipinos set for repatriation from Dubai amid Middle East tensions

At least 480 Filipinos in the Middle East are set to be repatriated amid the escalating tensions between Iran and the US and Israel, the Philippine Consulate in Dubai said Friday. 

Consul General Ambrosio Brian Enciso III said the repatriates, composed of at least 36 tourists and 270 migrant workers, will depart Dubai on board a chartered flight. 

“The capacity of the chartered flight is 480. From our side, more or less, we have 136.  From the MIgrant Workers Office, there are more or less 270, because there are some who backed out. There will also be a contingent from Abu Dhabi, more or less 90," Enciso told reporters in an interview.

Tensions in the region escalated more than a week ago following the joint military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. 

According to the Consul-General, the repatriates included those who expressed intent to go home to the Philippines. They will fly out from Dubai together with Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac. 

“It is a non-ticketed flight; we just need a manifest. The government paid the entire service —the charter service includes the plane and the bus that will take them from Dubai to Fujairah,” said Enciso. 

The government is considering arranging another chartered flight “according to the demand,” he added. 

“There are other ways; it can be in small batches. We will get them tickets depending on the need but if there is a big group, the government is open to considering that,” Enciso said.

This will be the first repatriation of Filipinos in the Middle East via chartered flight. On Wednesday, the DMW announced a total of 44 OFWs from Israel and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were repatriated via land travel to Egypt. From Egypt, they took a flight to Oman before traveling to the Philippines.

Another 90 OFWs returned to the Philippines from the UAE on Monday. 

Earlier, President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said the national government is arranging charter flights to repatriate Filipinos amid the tension in the Middle East. —LDF, GMA Integrated News