Friday, January 04, 2008
OFWs banned in 4 Middle East countries (9:57 p.m.)
MANILA -- The labor department has formally issued the "complete ban" on the deployment of workers to Nigeria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
"This is the best measure for protection that we can have now because our workers are really at risk when they go to these places," said Labor Secretary Arturo Brion.
He said the ban already took effect and that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is no longer processing the deployment of any Filipino workers to the four countries.
He said the complete ban in Iraq took effect in 2004, in July 2006 in Lebanon, shortly before Christmas of 2007 in Nigeria, and in December 2007 in Afghanistan.
He said government cannot do anything about those who are already in the four Middle East countries. (JMR/Sunnex) |
