Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 2) — The Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday downgraded the alert level over Iraq as the security situation in the country improves, it said in a statement.

From Alert Level 4 or mandatory repatriation, it was lowered to Alert Level 3 or voluntary repatriation of overseas Filipino workers. DFA said this was also due to the appeal of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The DFA said following the development, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Governing Board issued a resolution exempting returning OFWs to Iraq from the deployment ban, subject to specific conditions.

Philippine officials in January 2020 ordered the mandatory repatriation of Filipinos in Iraq due to security threats as tension continued to rise in the Middle East after the death of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed following a strike ordered by then-US President Donald Trump.