Exit routes for OFWs in Libya identified

Early demonstrations of hostilities in Libya, 2011 / Wikipedia Photo

MANILA — In the event of an airport shutdown in strife-torn Libya, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) identified on Tuesday, four possible exit routes for Filipinos.

“We have identified these exit routes in the event the airports in Tripoli and Benghazi will close down,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told reporters.

The exit routes include travelling by land through Egypt and Tunisia and by sea through Malta and Greece.

Philippine officials in Libya described the situation in that country as “volatile” after the county has been under a civil war.

The said situation forced Philippine officials to enforce a voluntary repatriation for more than 13,000 Filipino workers there.

“We continue to call on our Filipino workers there to avail of the government’s voluntary repatriation program as the security situation Libya continues to deteriorate,” Jose said.

“Repatriation cost will be shouldered by the Philippine government.

Afraid to lose their jobs and remain unemployed once they go back to the Philippines, most of the Filipino workers still refused to go home despite the hostile situation.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs department still continue their call on Filipinos working on Libya to heed the government’s advice to go back to the Philippines.

“I hope they would join the repatriation before the situation gets worse,” Jose said.

With reports from GMA News