MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) urged all undocumented Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to avail of the Gulf state’s amnesty program after it was extended for another month.
“The Department is encouraging other undocumented Filipinos in the UAE to take advantage of the amnesty before the new deadline,” the agency, through Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato, said in a statement on Wednesday as it announced the extension granted by Abu Dhabi.
The amnesty that began in August was supposed to end on October 31. The new deadline was set until December 1, 2018
According to the DFA, the new deadline will benefit more undocumented Filipinos who may wish to return to the Philippines.
The DFA, through its PHP1-billion assistance-to-nationals fund, will shoulder the cost of the exit fines and airline tickets to Manila and the respective provinces of Filipinos who will seek repatriation and avail of the program.
A total of 2,153 undocumented Filipinos have so far availed themselves of the program and have been repatriated back to Manila.
This included the latest batch of 98 repatriates assisted by the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai, which arrived on Monday. (Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA)
