Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 21) — The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia leads the list of countries with the most number of repatriation cases of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), according to the data presented by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
In 2021, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) recorded 4,958 repatriation cases from Saudi Arabia. The requests came from Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar.
Saudi also ranked as the top country with the most number of repatriation cases based on the data of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Middle Eastern countries actually dominate the list of countries dealing with the most repatriations. Kuwait ranks second, followed by Qatar, Oman and Jordan.
The department also released some of the leading reasons why OFWs seek repatriation.
The POEA said that being locked by employers is the most common reason, followed by contract violations, maltreatment, and due to medical reasons.
For requests made through OWWA, contract violation ended up being the main reason for repatriation, followed by abuses of varying nature —- physical, psychological, and verbal.
The DMW has launched its ‘One Repatriation Command Center’ aiming to help distressed OFWs from their abusive employers and bring them back home.
“The One Repat-DMW will help ensure that distressed OFWs are given immediate assistance and are able to come home to their families and loved ones,” Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
The new command center consolidates government agencies facilitating OFW repatriation including the OWWA and the POEA.
“Magkakatulungan kami sa halip na magtuturuan kung paano mapapauwi ang isang naghihinagpis na OFW,” Ople said.
[Translation: We will help each other instead of pointing fingers as to how to send home a distressed OFW.].
OFWs in distress or their immediate families or next of kin need only to call the One Repat-DMW hotline 1-348 to go through the necessary process.
