Deployment ban in Iraq, 3 other countries under review

MANILA, Philippines - The government is reviewing the standing deployment ban to Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Lebanon, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said yesterday.

POEA chief Jennifer Manalili said the review of the deployment ban on the four countries is part of the ongoing assessment undertaken by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for the determination of countries safe for deployment of workers. “As of now the government still has no position whether or not to lift the deployment ban. We would just await the result of the DFA assessment,” Manalili said.                                    

The Philippine government imposed the ban to Iraq, Lebanon, Nigeria and Afghanistan four years ago because of prevailing hostilities in those countries.

Despite the ban, Filipino workers continued to sneak into the four countries to work.

The Labor department said around 8,000 Filipino workers are employed in various US military facilities in Iraq.

In the middle of the year, the US government ordered the repatriation of Filipino workers from Iraq and Afghanistan in compliance with the deployment ban.

Those with existing contracts, however, were allowed to finish their commitments.

Manalili said the government may finally lift the deployment ban once the peace and order situation in the four countries has improved.

“We have to consider the peace and order situations, where we based the decision to implement the ban. For example, the situation may have already improved (but) is not constant,” she said.                                                                    

The Philippine government is also tightening travel measures to Malaysia in compliance to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

In a letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Sept. 30, Bureau of Immigration (BI) officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma said a letter of invitation authenticated by the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur does not guarantee clearance for departure to Malaysia.

Ledesma said many Filipino travelers present an affidavit of invitation or support when they cannot show proof that they or their sponsor are capable of financing the trip.

“Nonetheless, having an authenticated affidavit of support does not guarantee being cleared for departure. The affidavit of support still has to be read and assessed by the immigration officer as authentication only guarantees due execution by the affiant and does not guarantee its contents,” Ledesma said in the letter.                                                           

The law mandates the Immigration bureau to strictly enforce departure procedures in international airports and seaports upon detection of a potential trafficking situation. – With Pia Lee-Brago