OFW deployment ban stays in 21 countries – POEA

MANILA, Philippines — The ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in 21 countries remains in effect, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported yesterday.

The POEA said the deployment of OFWs to Afghanistan is prohibited due to security reasons.   

The deployment ban is also in effect in Somalia, Sudan as well as the Great Lakes Region, particularly in Rwanda and Burundi.

According to the POEA, deployment of OFWs to South Sudan has been suspended since June 2016.

The Philippine government stopped sending OFWs to Iraq after alert level 4 was declared in that country due to security threats.

OFWs are also barred from going to Libya, Syria, Yemen and Chechnya due to prevailing tensions.

The ban on the deployment of household service workers is also in effect in Palau and Ukraine.

OFW deployment is also banned in Chad, Cuba, North Korea, Haiti, Mali, Mauritania, Republic of Niger, Palestine and Zimbabwe.