DFA: Nearly 400 Filipinos from Ukraine now in PH

DFA: Nearly 400 Filipinos from Ukraine now in PH

FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises from a building after a blast, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 1, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

MANILA, Philippines — Close to 400 Filipinos have been repatriated from Ukraine to the Philippines since conflict broke out following Russia’s invasion in late February.

So far, 394 Filipinos have been flown back to the Philippines, according to a repatriation update shared on Tuesday by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola online.

Among the latest batch of repatriates included 30 seafarers from Ukraine who arrived in the country in the last three days. Some of them arrived at the Clark International Airport on Tuesday, Arriola said.

These seafarers manned the MV Ithaca Prospect, MV Filia Joy, and MV Nord Virgo. They arrived in the country via Bucharest, Romania. In total, 350 seafarers have already been repatriated, according to the DFA.

Meanwhile, 40 other Filipinos have so far been evacuated from Ukraine to neighboring countries, it added.

It was on March 7 that the Philippine government ordered the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos from Ukraine, which Russia started to invade on February 24. At the time, only more than 30 Filipinos had returned to the Philippines.

RELATED STORY

10 million have fled their homes in Ukraine – UN

KGA

Read more...