Stranded and Scared: Over 1,400 OFWs in Middle East Desperate to Come Home as Airports Close
More than 1,400 overseas Filipinos scattered across the Middle East are now begging to come home — but the bombs won't let them. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revealed the alarming numbers during a press conference at Malacañan on Tuesday, painting a grim picture of the repatriation crisis.
The breakdown is staggering: 586 Filipinos in Dubai, 297 in Israel, 270 in Abu Dhabi, 231 in Bahrain, 22 in Jordan, and 10 in Iran have all formally requested to be brought back to the Philippines. But here's the painful reality — most airports in the region have been shuttered or are under active attack.
"Ito ngayon ang problema. Walang lumilipad na eroplano. At yung mga airport ay tinatamaan na," Marcos said, visibly concerned. The President explained that Iran has launched retaliatory strikes against countries that assisted the United States, turning commercial airports into no-fly zones virtually overnight.
The government initially explored repatriation through areas that weren't yet affected by the bombing, but those safe corridors have since been hit too. "Noong una, hindi naman sila binobomba. Ngayon, binobomba na," Marcos lamented. He also expressed fear that commercial aircraft could be attacked "by mistake" in the volatile airspace.
Land routes remain the "best option," according to Marcos, but even those carry significant risks due to active ground fighting. With 2.5 million Filipinos living and working across the Middle East, the government is racing against time to find safe extraction routes for those who want out.
Source: Manila Bulletin
