DFA to shoulder ‘overstaying fees’ of OFWs in UAE

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will be shouldering the “overstaying fees” of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who still could not go back to the Philippines amid policy changes recently implemented by the Middle Eastern state.

During the hybrid meeting of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Bulacan Representative Jonathan Sy-Alvarado brought up complaints from OFWs in UAE, saying that many of them are bound to pay “overstaying fees” due to a new policy in that country.

Even those who already have plane tickets for their flights to the Philippines may not be able to leave if they will not pay the “overstaying fees,” he said.

Sy-Alvarado did not elaborate on the new policy of the UAE, but he argued that OFWs could not have overstayed if not for the international travel restrictions imposed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

DFA Undersecretary Sarah Arriola explained that while OFWs were initially allowed to stay in UAE until December, this policy was eventually “canceled.”

Although she admitted that they were not really aware of the reason why there was a policy change midway, they would not want OFWs to worry about the “overstaying fees” anymore.

“What we usually do for this is we also pay for the overstaying fees for us to be able to help our kababayans,” Arriola said.

What the OFWs in UAE only need to do is to inform the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate in their area about their situation, she said.

“We have an embassy sa Abu Dhabi at may konsulado tayo sa Dubai. Ang pinakakailangan mangyari is mapauwi sila as fast as we can,” she added.

Arriola expressed concern, however, that the payment for the overstaying fees of OFWs would only further drain the already-depleted funds for the repatriation of overseas Filipinos.

She stated that the P1 billion “assistance-to-nationals” fund of the DFA was now down to P232.9 million, and this may all be gone by August.

“Pero huwag silang mag-alala, hanggang sa kahuli-hulihang sentimo na meron ang DFA, gagamitin natin to repatriate everyone…. Ang pinakamahalaga ngayon ay mapauwi sila,” Arriola said.

Arriola advised OFWs in UAE to coordinate with the Philippine embassy or consulate near their area way ahead of their expected flights to the Philippines so that the DFA could prepare for the payment of their “overstaying fees.”

“Mahirap yung on the day itself. So kailangan at least one week ahead, o kung pwede one month ahead. The longer they stay there, the bigger the problem will be,” she said.

In the same meeting, Arriola said the DFA was looking to bring home around 50,577 overseas Filipinos by the end of July.