Repatriation of distressed OFWs in UAE starts Saturday

Philippine officials in the United Arab Emirates will start repatriating some 35 distressed Filipino workers there, with an initial batch of 13 heading home this Saturday. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Dubai will facilitate the repatriation. "They came on visit visas, became Overseas Filipino Workers [OFWs] in Dubai, thus avoiding taxes, since Filipino expatriates under our law are exempted from taxes. Now, they are going home and they will have to pay taxes as Filipinos working in our country," Philippine Consul General Benito Valeriano said in an article posted Thursday on UAE news site Khaleej Times. He said the distressed OFWs had run away from their employers, penniless, after having worked in Dubai on visit visa status. Valeriano said the 35 workers could not be repatriated together, saying an original list submitted for approval in Manila showed some of them had already been repatriated by private groups or institutions by providing free air tickets. “We have submitted new names now from the over a hundred workers waiting for repatriation at the Overseas Filipino Resource Center. But, Manila has already approved the air tickets for 35 wards. Hopefully, 35 more will be repatriated in the near future," he said. Many Filipinos had entered the emirates unofficially to avoid payment of recruitment fees, which is equivalent to a month’s salary. They also go around the labor deployment procedures of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), which require them to pay Dh1,600 (P16,000) to undergo medical examinations and be a POEA-accredited expatriate. Liza Mercado, who has been working in Dubai for the past 10 years, said her brother and sister went to the UAE on visit visas to make some money. “I only have to pay between Dh1,800 and Dh2,500 (P21,246 to P29,509) depending on the duration of the visa I want for them and a round trip ticket to Dubai. If they look for UAE employers through recruitment agencies in Manila, we will be spending more," she said. Valeriano said he is hoping the latest repatriation mission will be an eye-opener for other Filipino expatriates trooping in to the Philippine Consulate General in Qusais at an average of 300 applicants daily. “Many want their family members and friends to come to Dubai without anticipating what is it like if they run into trouble. Some have come forward to sponsor friends, but their salary is just Dh2,000 (P23,607) or less per month. And they only have a bed space as accommodation. How can they accommodate their friends in this situation?" he said. — LBG, GMANews.TV