POEA Warns Recruiters And Workers On Restricted OFW Destinations

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POEA Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac yesterday warned placement agencies to stop recruiting workers, and job applicants not to accept job offers, for Syria and other countries declared by the government as dangerous to OFWs.

Cacdac said the POEA is filing charges motu propio against licensed recruitment agencies found to have deployed workers to countries with existing restrictions.

“These recruiters are heartless, sending their recruits to actual war zones and other destinations with hostile and hazardous working conditions,” he added.

Cacdac said the deployment of OFWs to prohibited destinations cannot proceed without those illegal recruiters who continue to circumvent the ban by sending Filipino workers to their destinations through a third country.
The POEA has already filed charges against nine recruitment agencies for deploying household service workers to Syria early this year.

The government issued a total deployment ban to Syria in August 2011 because of continued political unrest in that country. Hundreds of illegally deployed Filipino workers have already been repatriated from Syria as of
date.

Cacdac further identified other countries with varied restrictions, as follows:

1. Afghanistan – Only rehires working inside American military camps and facilities with existing employment contracts are allowed. (Governing Board Resolution No. 5, Series of 2011)
2. Iraq – All skills are banned except in Kurdistan Region. (Governing Board Resolution No. 3, Series of 2012)
3. Lebanon – Returning workers who were processed prior to June 18, 2007 and returning to the same employer are allowed (Governing Board Resolution No. 1, Series of 2011)
4. Jordan – Newly hired household service workers are not allowed (POEA Advisory No. 1, 13 January 2011)
5. Yemen – Only workers returning to existing employers are allowed (Governing Board Resolution No. 2, Series of 2012)

Source: POEA