DMW: OFWs safe after Qatar airspace closure delays repatriation flight

SAFE. All 31 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the temporary closure of Qatari airspace are safe and being assisted on the ground, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said on Tuesday (June 24, 2025). The delay in the repatriation flight to the Philippines was due to the sudden closure of Qatar’s airspace following an Iranian missile attack on a US air base in the Gulf state. (Photo: Hans Leo Cacdac/Facebook)

MANILA – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has confirmed that all 31 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the temporary closure of Qatar’s airspace are safe and being assisted on the ground, following a delay in their repatriation flight to the Philippines.

“We are relieved to report that all 31 overseas Filipino repatriates, mostly from Israel (26), Jordan (3), Palestine (1), and Qatar (1), are safe and sound,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in an official statement issued on Tuesday.

Philippine embassy officials from Doha are on the ground to provide support while the group, which includes Cacdac, awaits flight rescheduling.

The repatriation was part of the Philippine government’s ongoing efforts, under the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., to bring home Filipinos from crisis-affected areas abroad.

The delay was caused by a temporary closure of Qatari airspace, prompting a disruption in commercial flights, including the one carrying the repatriated OFWs.

Cacdac, meanwhile, thanked the Qatari Ministry of Interior for swiftly reopening the airspace and ensuring the safety of all affected individuals.

“With the Qatari Ministry of Interior on top of the situation, the Qatari airspace is now open, and we are now awaiting confirmation of the new schedule of our flight,” Cacdac said.

“We thank the Qatari Ministry of Interior for their swift response and for ensuring the safety and security of all affected individuals.”

Cacdac also appealed to the public, especially Filipino communities in the Middle East, to remain calm and vigilant and avoid spreading unverified information.

He also urged all OFWs in the region to rely only on official government advisories from the DMW, the Philippine Embassy, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and trusted authorities.

Cacdac shared that while at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, he met two OFWs who had missed their connecting flight to Pagadian due to delays, and assured them that DMW-OWWA would rebook their tickets and cover the costs.

The group was originally scheduled to arrive at 8:30 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Tuesday morning.

However, the Qatari airspace was suddenly closed after Iran’s missile attack at Al Udeid US Air Base in the Gulf state late Monday, following a US airstrike on Tehran’s nuclear facilities on June 21.

“For the families of the repatriated OFWs, please be assured that we are actively working to finalize new flight arrangements. Updates will be provided directly to all official DMW and OWWA communication channels,” Cacdac said.