DFA orders embassies to help stranded Pinoys outside UAE

MANILA, Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs acting secretary Esteban Conejos Jr has instructed Philippine embassies in Muscat, Tehran, and Abu Dhabi, and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai to extend assistance to an estimated 6,000 Filipinos stranded outside the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Conejos told reporters on Friday that the Filipinos were stuck at the Oman-UAE border due to recent changes in the UAE's visa rules. Since September 23, a four-man consulate team from the embassy in Muscat has been dispatched to Al Buraimi, along the Oman-UAE border to help the Filipinos, according to Conejos. He said teams from the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai were also on their way to the area. Representatives from the two offices will also be making "high-level representation" with UAE authorities on behalf of the stranded Filipinos. Meanwhile, teams from the Philippine Embassy in Tehran will be dispatched to Kish Island in the Hormozgān Province of Iran. The UAE came out with new visa rules for tourists and foreign workers last July 29. According to the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), Filipino workers who have no UAE residence permit must have passports that are valid for at least six months. For Filipinos with special entry permit or employment visa, their passports must be valid for at least three months, according to the DoLE. For tourists, visas are initially issued for one month for Dh100, which can be renewed for another month for Dh500. - MJU, GMANews.TV