Philippines embassy in Lebanon repatriates 67 Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine embassy in Beirut has repatriated 67 Filipinos amid the worsening security situation in Lebanon.

The repatriates are four Filipino spouses of Lebanese nationals, six children of overseas Filipinos, and 57 overseas Filipino workers.

According to the embassy, it has received 1,173 applications for voluntary repatriation, of which 439 have been repatriated since Alert Level 3 was raised in October 2023.

“However, there were also those who withdrew their applications due to a variety of reasons, citing the lack of employment opportunities back home and the difficulty of integrating their children into Philippine society,” the embassy said.

Among those repatriated are a Filipina mother and her three children who are residents of Nabatieh, one of two governorates in southern Lebanon most affected by the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces.

They decided to avail themselves of the government’s voluntary repatriation program after regularly hearing loud explosions in their area, coupled with the ongoing political and economic crisis in Lebanon.

The series of repatriations are being facilitated by the Philippine embassy’s Assistance-to-Nationals Section, the Migrant Workers Office, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The embassy continues to monitor the situation across Lebanon and provides updated safety measures and advisories to Filipino nationals.

“The embassy strongly urges all Filipino nationals to avail of the voluntary repatriation program considering the worsening security situation in the country,” it said.