DUBAI: Around 300 Overseas Filipino Workers in Dubai initially requested repatriation during the recent Middle East tensions, but nearly 60 percent later decided to stay, according to Philippine labor officials monitoring the situation on the ground, GMA News Online reported.
Labor Attaché John Rio Bautista of the Migrant Workers Office Dubai Northern Emirates said many OFWs who registered through the government hotline eventually cancelled their request after assessing that conditions in the United Arab Emirates were not as severe as initially feared.
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Many OFWs Registered for Repatriation but Did Not Push Through
Bautista said the majority of those who first asked for repatriation did not show up when arrangements were made for their departure.
“About sixty percent of those who requested repatriation since February 28 cancelled because the situation was not that bad,” Bautista said.
Some Filipinos who were expected to appear at Dubai International Airport also failed to arrive despite having already registered for the program.
The labor official explained that in several cases, seats had already been reserved and even visas processed for alternative travel routes, including evacuation flights departing from Oman.
Some Seats Went Unused Despite Paid Tickets
Bautista cited an example involving a group scheduled to leave through Oman. Authorities had already arranged the flight and processed visas, but several passengers did not appear.
“There were supposed to be 33 passengers on that Oman flight, but four did not show up even though their tickets and visas were already paid,” he said.
Officials clarified that registering for repatriation does not automatically mean workers will push through with the trip. Many OFWs sign up as a precaution in case the regional situation worsens.
Land Route Through Oman Used for First Time
Despite the cancellations, the Philippine government successfully repatriated 20 OFWs and nine of their dependents on Tuesday.
Because of temporary flight disruptions at Dubai International Airport, authorities used a land route to Oman through the Hatta Al Wajajah border crossing before flying the group to the Philippines via Oman Air.
Bautista described the route as the first attempt by the Migrant Workers Office to evacuate Filipinos through a neighboring country during the current crisis.
Stranded Filipinos Still Being Assisted
Meanwhile, some Filipinos stranded due to earlier airport closures have continued to leave Dubai through commercial flights.
Emirates flights EK334 and EK336 recently carried hundreds of mostly stranded Filipinos, with 373 passengers departing Sunday and another 256 leaving the following day.
Officials said the Migrant Workers Office remains ready to process repatriation requests. Workers who wish to return home must contact the official hotlines so their documents and eligibility can be verified before travel arrangements are made.
Authorities stressed that the option to return remains open for Filipinos who feel unsafe, even as many OFWs in the UAE appear to have decided that staying for now is the better choice.