The Department of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that more than 1,000 Filipinos in Lebanon are asking to be repatriated to the Philippines amid rising tensions in the Middle Eastern country.
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said of the 1,000 Filipinos who availed of repatriation, 356 had already been sent home. Lebanon is home to some 11,000 Filipinos, some of whom are undocumented.
At around 10 p.m. Friday night, Philippine time, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon issued an urgent advisory, urging all Filipinos to leave the country immediately while Beirut’s airport remains operational.
The Philippine Embassy emphasized the importance of safety and advised all Filipino nationals in Lebanon to place a premium on their safety and leave “as soon as possible.”
It added that those who could not leave Lebanon should, whenever possible, transfer to safer places outside South Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut.
De Vega added that for the present, there are no Filipinos in the area near Lebanon’s border with Israel. However, less than a hundred Filipinos still stay in villages in southern Lebanon.
Amidst the brewing conflict, the Department of Migrant Workers said it is ready to help Filipinos who want to leave Lebanon.
