PHILIPPINES: Filipinos coming home from Syria to escape violence

Record ID: 280142

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: Filipinos coming home from Syria to escape violence
  • Date: 13th January 2012
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES, (JANUARY 13, 2012) (REUTERS) FAÇADE OF NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LUGGAGE ON CONVEYOR BELT FILIPINOS COMING HOME FROM SYRIA ENTER ARRIVALS AREA FILIPINOS COMING HOME FROM SYRIA AT AIRPORT DESK FILIPINOS COMING HOME FROM SYRIA LEAVING AIRPORT CHECKPOINT (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) MIGRANT WORKER SAUDA OMAR SAYING: "I'm so relieved to be away
  • Embargoed: 28th January 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Philippines, Philippines
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA34J8L3WZT88W7LZW50URHOBOU
  • Story Text: Seventy five migrant workers from Syria arrived in Manila, on Friday (January 13) after the Philippine government ordered a mandatory repatriation due to the escalating violence between the Syrian government and opposition forces.
    In December, the violence in Syria promoted the foreign affairs ministry to order the repatriation of some 17,000, mostly undocumented, migrant workers living in Syria.
    The migrant workers, most of whom are domestic workers, were relieved to be back in Manila.
    "I'm so relieved to be away from Syria and the wars," said migrant worker Sauda Omar.
    Domestic helper Sophia Sultan, who worked in Syria for three years, immediately left her employer and contacted the Philippine embassy after personally witnessing bombings in Damascus.
    "I was really scared because a bomb exploded near our house in Cabarsosa. We saw the remains of the dead bodies and what's left of their clothes from the explosion," she said.
    The foreign affairs department has recorded more than 645 repatriations since March last year, while around 1,000 more are expected to arrive in the following weeks.
    Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Director Carmelita Dimzon urged Filipinos living in Syria to take advantage of the repatriation programme being offered by the Philippine government.
    "We are asking our Filipinos there to avail (themselves) and take advantage of this programme so that they can leave Syria while it is not yet that dangerous," she said.
    The Philippine government's repatriation programme will continue until all of the Filipinos have been safely evacuated in Syria, Dimzon said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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