DMW helping 3 OFWs amid Northern Ireland riots

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Thursday said the agency is assisting three Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) due to the threat of ongoing riots in Northern Ireland.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the concerned OFWs were not hurt but their community was under threat or possibly in danger, according to a report of Super Radyo dzBB’s Mark Makalalad.

3 overseas Filipino worker (OFW) sa Northern Ireland, tinutulungan ng Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) dahil sa nangyaring riot; sitwasyon sa immigration protests sa California, tinututukan din. | via @MMakalalad pic.twitter.com/bYk9dfUsnw

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) June 12, 2025

The DMW said it  is taking steps to ensure the safety of the OFWs.

Reuters on Thursday reported that some Filipino families fled from their home in Northern Irish after a night of anti-immigrant violence.

Michael Sancio, a resident of Ballymena town, said he woke up Tuesday midnight by masked men banging loudly on windows.

Sancio, his wife and daughter, and another couple who share their house grabbed their passports and a few belongings before fleeing their residence.

They slept at a friend's house and plan to stay further outside the town because they feel unsafe at their home.

Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in the town of 30,000 people for a second successive night on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Authorities are investigating the damaging of property as racially-motivated “hate crimes."

The rioting began after two 14-year-old boys were arrested and appeared in court after being accused of a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in Ballymena.

The charges were read to the boys via a Romanian interpreter, the BBC reported. A lawyer told the court that the two teenagers denied the accusation and they were remanded in custody until July 2. —RF, GMA Integrated News