- Background Peace and order Worker conditions
- Current bans Nationwide Ban on select areas
- Previous bans
- References
This list tackles current and past bans on the deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) or Filipino migrant workers to other countries. BackgroundThe Philippine government assesses which countries where Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to by evaluating the general peace and order situation in the country as well as working conditions for migrant workers in a certain country. Peace and orderThe Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines issues four levels of crisis alert levels, a travel warning which also serves as a basis for labor deployment bans for Filipino migrant workers to certain countries.[1] Crisis Alert Levels[1]| Alert Level | Action | | 1 | "Precautionary phase", No deployment ban | | 2 | "Restriction phase" and ban on deployment of newly hired Overseas Filipino Workers only | | 3 | Voluntary repatriation and total ban on deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers | | 4 | Mandatory repatriation and total ban on deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers | Worker conditionsAside from countries experiencing problems with peace and order. The Philippine government can also restrict deployment of Filipino workers to countries determined by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs to be non-compliant to the Republic Act 10022 also known as Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] A country can be assessed as compliant with the said law if it:[3] - Has existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers, including migrant workers;
- Is a signatory to and/or a ratifier of multilateral conventions, declarations or resolutions relating to the protection of workers, including migrant workers; and
- Has concluded a bilateral agreement or arrangement with the government on the protection of the rights of overseas Filipino workers;
International companies and contractors with operations in non-compliant companies can still deploy Filipinos to countries with no existing ban.[3] Current bansNationwide| Country | Type | Since | Notes |
|---|
| {{flag|Afghanistan}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] | | {{flag|Chad}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] | | {{flag|Cuba}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] | | {{flag|Burundi}} | Total | Unstable peace and order situation.[2] | | {{flag|Haiti}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] | | {{flag|Libya}}[2] | Partial | | {{flag|Mauritania}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] | | {{flag|Mali}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] | | {{flag|Micronesia}} | Total | An initial total ban ordered on OFW deployment to Micronesia in September 2018 due to reports of abuses and maltreatment of Filipino workers was partially lifted later that month, exempting returning workers from the ban.[4][5] | | {{flag|North Korea}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] | | {{flag|Niger}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] | | {{flag|Palau}} | Partial | Ban applies only for domestic workers[2] | | {{flag|Palestine}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] | | {{flag|Rwanda}} | Total | Unstable peace and order situation[2] | | {{flag|Somalia}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act, Unstable peace and order situation[2] | | {{flag|South Sudan}} | Partial | | {{flag|Syria}} | Total | Unstable peace and order situation[2] | | {{flag|Yemen}} | Total | Unstable peace and order situation[2] | | {{flag|Ukraine}} | Partial | | {{flag|Zimbabwe}} | Total | Non-compliance to Amended Migrant Workers Act.[2] | |
Ban on select areas| Region / Area | Country | Type | Since | Notes |
|---|
| {{flag|Chechnya}} | {{flag|Russia}} | Total | Unstable peace and order situation[2] | | {{flag|Iraqi Kurdistan}}[2] | {{flag|Iraq}} | Partial | | Rest of Iraq[2] | Total | Unstable peace and order situation | | Nationwide except Khartoum and Kenana Sugar Plantation in the White Nile[2] | {{flag|Sudan}} | Total | 2005|3|30}} | Unstable peace and order situation[6] | |
Previous bans| Country | Type | From | Notes |
|---|
| {{flag|Nigeria}} | Total | 2007|1|22}}–{{dts|2007|3|13}} | A total ban was imposed in January 2007 following incidents of kidnappings in Nigeria. Partially lifted in March 2007 to allow returning Filipino migrant workers employed in Nigeria. Total ban was reimposed in 2008 and includes Filipino seafarers boarded on ships docking on Nigerian ports.[6] | | Partial | 2007|3|13}}–{{dts|2008|1|31}} | | Total | 2008|1|31}}–{{dts|2009|8|12}} | | Partial | 2009|8|12}}–{{dts|2012|3|21}} | | {{flag|Kuwait}} | Total | 2018|2|12}}–{{dts|2018|5|12}} | Due to the 2018 Kuwait–Philippine diplomatic crisis the Philippines banned the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait in February 2018.[7]Deployment of "skilled" and "semi-skilled" were allowed on May 12[8] and the ban was completely lifted on May 16.[9] | | Partial | 2018|5|12}}–{{dts|2018|5|16}} | | {{flag|Libya|1977}} | Total | 2011|2|22}}–{{dts|2011|12|20}} | POEA suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to Libya due to political unrest. On December 2011, workers in the medical and petroleum industry began to be gradually deployed to Libya. The situation in Libya was assessed to have been improved when the Alert Level on Libya was reduced to level 1 from level 2 in February 23, 2012 and the ban was fully lifted in March 2012.[6] | | Partial | 2011|12|20}}–{{dts|2011|3|21}} |
References1. ^1 {{cite news|last1=Mabasa|first1=Roy|title=DFA raises various crisis alert levels in 21 nations|url=https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/07/18/dfa-raises-various-crisis-alert-levels-in-21-nations/|accessdate=15 May 2018|work=Manila Bulletin|date=18 July 2017}}
2. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 {{cite news|last1=Medenilla|first1=Samuel|title=POEA lists 24 countries off-limits to OFWs|url=https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/01/01/poea-lists-24-countries-off-limits-to-ofws/|accessdate=14 May 2018|work=Manila Bulletin|date=1 January 2018}}
3. ^1 {{cite news|last1=Torres|first1=Estrella|title=List of 'OFW-friendly' countries bared|url=http://news.abs-cbn.com/global-filipino/11/01/11/list-ofw-friendly-countries-bared|accessdate=15 May 2018|work=ABS-CBN News|publisher=BusinessMirror|date=2 November 2011}}
4. ^{{cite news|url=https://usa.inquirer.net/15364/total-ban-ordered-ofw-deployment-micronesia|title=Total ban ordered on OFW deployment to Micronesia|date=September 11, 2018|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer}}
5. ^{{cite news|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/09/27/18/ph-lifts-deployment-ban-to-micronesia|title=PH partially lifts deployment ban to Micronesia|date=September 27, 2018|newspaper=ABS-CBN News}}
6. ^1 2 {{cite news|title=POEA lifts deployment ban to Nigeria, Libya, South Sudan|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/pinoyabroad/252250/poea-lifts-deployment-ban-to-nigeria-libya-south-sudan/story/|accessdate=15 May 2018|work=GMA News|date=21 March 2012}}
7. ^{{cite news|last1=Patinio|first1=Ferdinand|title=DOLE orders total deployment ban of OFWs to Kuwait|url=http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1024931|accessdate=26 April 2018|agency=Philippine News Agency|date=12 February 2018}}
8. ^{{cite news|last1=Gita|first1=Ruth Abbey|title=Philippines partially lifts Kuwait deployment ban|url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1743107/Manila/Local-News/Philippines-partially-lifts-Kuwait-deployment-ban|accessdate=16 May 2018|work=Sun Star Manila|date=15 May 2018}}
9. ^{{cite news|title=Duterte orders total lifting of deployment ban to Kuwait|url=http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/16/18/duterte-orders-total-lifting-of-deployment-ban-to-kuwait|accessdate=17 May 2018|work=ABS-CBN News|date=16 May 2018}}
{{Overseas Filipino Workers}} 3 : Overseas Filipino Worker|Emigration|Labor in the Philippines |