De Lima urges govt to assist 100 Pinay workers, children to be deported by Israel

Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Monday urged the government to extend all necessary assistance to some 100 Filipina workers in Israel and their children born there who are set to be deported.

“I call on the Department of Foreign Affairs to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the rights of our fellow Filipinos and their children in Israel will not be violated,” De Lima said in a press statement.

The senator made the call amid reports by Israeli newspaper Haaretz that around 100 Filipina workers and their Israeli-born children will be deported in July as ordered by Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority. 

“Dapat ibigay ng DFA ang lahat ng kailangang tulong para masigurong protektado ang karapatan ng ating mga manggagawang Pilipino at kanilang mga anak na naiipit sa sitwasyon,” she said.

De Lima said the government should exert all efforts in finding a win-win solution on the matter through diplomatic channels so that the livelihood of hundreds of Filipina workers will not be affected and the welfare of their children will not be compromised.

“Hanapan sana ng agarang solusyon ang problema dahil kabuhayan at kapakanan ng ating mga kapwa Pilipino ang nakataya rito,” she said.

The Population and Immigration Authority is set to deport the Filipino workers who allegedly entered Israel legally, mostly as caregivers, but their visas were not renewed because they gave birth in the country, leaving them without any legal status.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. earlier said the deportation does not slide smoothly with the many good agreements in the pipeline between Israel and the Philippines. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News