MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of Filipino migrant workers and their dependents have taken advantage of a UAE amnesty program to hastily return home, fleeing fines and legal troubles in the Gulf nation.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Friday that a total of 707 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and 49 dependents have been repatriated from the United Arab Emirates under the amnesty program.
The latest group of 49 OFWs and 2 dependents arrived at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Friday aboard a Philippine Airlines flight, the 11th batch to be brought home since the program began on September 1.
The UAE amnesty, originally set to end on October 31, allows overstaying Filipinos and other expatriates to leave the country without facing penalties or legal action. It does not cover those with pending criminal cases.
Migrant advocacy groups appealed for the program to be extended, and the UAE agreed to keep it running through the end of this year.
“We call on overstaying Filipinos in the UAE to avail of the amnesty program before it ends on December 31,” the DMW urged in a statement.
The sudden exodus highlights the plight of many foreign workers in the UAE, where visa rules are strict and overstaying can lead to hefty fines, jail time, and difficulty returning in the future. Children born to undocumented parents have also been able to benefit from the amnesty.
While the repatriation effort has provided relief to hundreds of Filipino families, it also raises questions about the working conditions and immigration policies that drove so many to seek the amnesty in the first place.
