315 more Filipinos to be repatriated from Syria – DFA

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said that 315 more Filipinos would be repatriated from strife-torn Syria this week.

“This group of 315 OFWs brings the total number of Filipinos repatriated from Syria to 2,571,” the DFA said in a statement.

It said that the repatriates would arrive in several batches.

It noted that the first group of 261 Filipinos left for Syria Wednesday via Jordanian Aviation flight 4371 from Damascus, a chartered flight arranged and facilitated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

It added that the first batch would arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Thursday at 8:00 a.m.

“The rest of the Filipinos will leave in three or four batches via Emirates Airlines commercial flights,” it said.

It noted that the IOM had provided the plane tickets for the 315 repatriates.

The Syrian government had also waived the payment of exit requirements and penalties for the repatriates.

Amid the worsening tensions in Syria, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario and Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis made visits to Syria and were able to clench a deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the repatriation of Filipinos.

A mandatory repatriation and deployment ban have been implemented in Syria since it was declared under Crisis Alert level 4 in December 2011.