50 OFWs last to cross Libya-Tunisia border set to fly back to Manila

Fifty overseas Filipino workers in Libya managed to cross the border separating the strife-torn country from Tunisia just in time before it was sealed off, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Sunday.

In a statement, the DFA also said the OFWs are now preparing for their Monday flight back to Manila.

It said the 50 OFWs crossed the Tunisian border of Ras Ajdir at midnight of August 1. They were among the last batch of evacuees allowed to cross the border.

Immigration and Customs officers process the arrival documents of overseas Filipino workers at the NAIA Terminal 1 on Monday, July 28, after their repatriation from Libya, which has been wracked by renewed violence.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported the border was sealed off Friday, after the attempt of several thousand Egyptians and foreigners to break through the passage ended in violence.

The Tunisia government has waived entry visas for Filipinos coming from Libya so long as they are accompanied by a representative of the Philippine Embassy. They must leave the country 72 hours after their entry, according to Foreign Undersecretary Jesus Yabes.

The OFWs were transported to the Island of Djerba after crossing the border, the DFA said. They will be staying in the area until their scheduled flight to Manila.

DFA rents ferry

On Saturday, DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario met with the Filipino evacuees in Tunisia to give updates on the ongoing evacuation by land routes and the efforts of the Philippine government to initiate repatriation by sea at the soonest possible time.

Del Rosario said the DFA has rented a ship to ferry Filipinos safely from Benghazi and Misrata. The vessel, which can carry over 1,000 passengers, will bring the OFWs to Malta for their onward flights to the Philippines.

Del Rosario appealed to the 50 OFWs to convince their friends and co-workers who are still in Libya to avail of the government's mandatory repatriation program, even as he lauded them for making the “good and timely” decision to leave the African country.

According to the DFA, only 831 out of an estimated 13,000 Filipinos staying in Libya have been repatriated.

The Philippine government has enforced mandatory evacuation of all its workers after putting Libya under crisis Alert Level 4 last month.

Level 4 is the highest security warning given by the Philippines to host countries that pose risks to Filipino travelers and migrant workers.

Libya’s labor ministry has waived the exit visa requirement for Filipinos who wish to leave the country.

But many Filipino workers, mostly in the construction and healthcare sectors, reportedly refuse to leave Libya despite the security threat due to the lack of employment opportunities back in the Philippines. — Xianne Arcangel /LBG, GMA News