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US-Iran tensions: the Filipino migrant workers in Middle East for whom leaving is not an option
- As the Philippines scrambles to evacuate its workers from the Middle East, many face a quandary: they can’t afford to go
- Many others among the four million in the region are there illegally
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When a missile fired by Tehran at the Arbil military base used by American soldiers in Iraq exploded near a bar where he was relaxing, Filipino migrant worker Mark could no longer ignore how unstable his host country had become.
“We immediately left the bar, which was just beside the US consulate. People started running, so we ran as well. We got a taxi and went home,” he told a radio station in Manila – adding that the explosion was the worst he and his compatriots had experienced during their time in the country, where blasts are not uncommon.
But despite the harrowing experience, Mark and the friends who were with him intend to stay in the country. “If we get repatriated to the Philippines, we won’t have much to eat,” he said.
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As Philippine officials scramble to bring home thousands of Filipino workers from the increasingly volatile Middle East, many face a similar quandary. Tensions remain high following the US assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks on two US military bases in Iraq, but for many workers returning to the Philippines is simply an option they cannot afford.
A host of officials has been dispatched by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to arrange the safe passage of those Filipino workers who wished to return home.
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