Filipinos in Libya urged to voluntarily repatriate

Manila, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is calling for the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos in Libya.

This is despite improvements in the political and security situation in the country.

Previously, different alert levels were imposed, with certain areas under mandatory repatriation and others under restricted phase. However, the DFA has updated the crisis alert level and placed Libya under voluntary repatriation.

The DFA explained that while the political and security conditions in Libya are still fragile, there have been significant improvements since 2019.

The conflicts in Libya are currently localized and sporadic, primarily targeting combatants rather than a large-scale civil conflict.

The DFA also mentioned ongoing efforts, particularly through the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, to unite the two governments in the country and strengthen its security apparatus.

Presently, there are approximately 2,300 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Libya.

The DFA stated that these OFWs are more concerned about pending labor issues rather than the conflict in the country.

Many of them perceive Libya as safe and secure, as they have adapted to the instability after surviving previous civil wars and conflicts.

The DFA sees the updated crisis alert level as an opportunity to resolve the labor issues faced by OFWs in Libya. Resolving these issues would pave the way for the gradual relaxation of the deployment ban and allow for selective deployment of OFWs to the country.