The Philippine Consulate in Dubai on Tuesday, June 26, has expressed readiness in the expected influx of overstaying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in UAE who will avail of the amnesty program for visa violators.
Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes said the Consulate is planning to form a special team that will assist OFWs with overstaying cases amid the amnesty program, similar to the special team the Consulate created in 2013, reported Khaleej Times.
Cortes told the report that the Consulate is ready to repatriate OFWs who would choose to return to the Philippines through the Php1-billion (Dh6.86-million) repatriation fund set by the Philippine government for all OFWs worldwide.
The fund will be used to purchase airplane tickets for OFWs for their trip from the UAE back to the Philippines.
Cortes said the Consulate has received a number of inquiries regarding the amnesty program since it was announced by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC) last week.
The Consulate, however, could not release any final instruction yet for OFWs as they await the guidelines of the amnesty program to be released by the UAE government.
UAE’s three-month amnesty program for visa violators is set to begin on August 1.
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