THE Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday Egyptian authorities allowed 340 Filipinos to enter from strife-torn Sudan after they were held for two days at the border.
DFA Assistant Secretary for Migrant Workers Paul Cortes said Philippine Ambassador Ezzedin Tago welcome the Filipinos.
“Three hundred forty were finally issued visas and clearances to enter Egypt,” Cortes said, adding that Tago was directing operations to evacuate and repatriate Filipinos from Sudan where fighting between Army troops loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo continued for nearly three weeks now.
Cortes said the Filipinos were held at an immigration facility in the Argeen border of Egypt and Sudan before Egyptian authorities allowed their entry.
Earlier, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega said Egyptian authorities earlier barred people who had expired passports, no passports, or lost theirs while fleeing Sudan.
De Vega said Tago already made representation with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the entry of Filipinos fleeing from Sudan.
Cortes said from the border, the Filipinos will be taken to Cairo where they will be billeted in hotels earlier arranged by the embassy.
“From Cairo, they will be flown to Manila within the week,” Cortes said, adding four hotels have been booked to accommodate the Filipinos.
Meanwhile, 116 more Filipinos are on their way to Egypt from Khartoum, Sudan’s capital city.
This development came as the DFA welcomed on Saturday the first batch of Filipinos who are being repatriated from Sudan, composed of 17 evacuees.
They arrived in Manila last Saturday afternoon after flying out from Athens, Greece and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Of the 17, the DFA said eight were hotel workers in Sudan.
The DFA said as of Saturday, a total of 610 Filipinos have evacuated from Khartoum, with 391 having crossed to the Egyptian side of the border in chartered buses.
POE WEIGHS IN
Sen. Grace Poe yesterday said the government should regularly review its policies on the deployment of overseas workers to ensure their welfare and safety.
Poe made the remark as she welcomed the efforts of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Migrant Workers for repatriating the first batch of OFWs from war-torn Sudan.
“We trust that the government will continue to undertake all efforts to bring Filipinos to safety,” Poe said.
She said while working abroad is a good way for Filipinos to earn more of what is being offered in the country, the government must make sure that OFWs are safe in whatever country they wish to work in.
“We understand the need of our people for better paying jobs, but it is also incumbent upon the government to constantly review its deployment policies to ensure the safety of our countrymen working abroad,” she said.
She expressed hopes that authorities will continue to act with dispatch so they can facilitate the passage of OFWs to secure borders on their way back to the country.
“We also hope that support systems are in place to assist returning Filipinos find alternative jobs or livelihood here, or undergo skills retooling or training if they wish to,” she added. — With Raymond Africa and Gerard Naval
