Philippines - A group of 270 Filipino migrant workers who were sheltering in the compound of the Philippines embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus have returned home with assistance from IOM.

This brings the number of Filipino migrants repatriated from Syria by IOM at the request of the Philippine government to 1,206 since the conflict began in March 2011.

Due to fighting between government forces and rebels close Damascus airport, most airlines are now no longer flying to the Syrian capital. The Philippine embassy therefore had to bus the migrants to Lebanon. IOM then flew them home in a chartered aircraft from the Lebanese capital Beirut.

The evacuation followed intensified fighting in the Mezzeh district, less than a kilometre from the Philippine embassy. Embassy officials also cited deteriorating living conditions in the embassy compound due to overcrowding and the onset of cold weather.

“This is good news for the workers and their families coming up to the holiday season,” said José Pimentel, IOM’s Chief of Mission for the Philippines. “IOM is pleased to continue to work with its member governments for the safe return of migrants caught in circumstances like this where their lives are in peril.”

For more information please contact  

Kent Madarcos
IOM Manila
Email: kmadarcos@iom.int
Tel. +63 2 2301757