Migrant Workers Office in Dubai Repatriates 208 Filipinos Amid Regional Conflict

The Migrant Workers Office in Dubai facilitated the repatriation of 208 overseas Filipino workers and their dependents on two Emirates Airline flights from Dubai International Airport on April 30, 2026, Rappler reported. Filipinos queued with documents and weighed luggage at a hotel ballroom converted into a repatriation assembly point in Dubai.

An overseas Filipino worker was found hand-carrying a food fryer because her luggage was filled to the 30-kilogram allowable limit, but staff from the Migrant Workers Office talked her into making last-minute changes to accommodate it.

One overseas Filipino worker did not go to the assembly area because his girlfriend was not coming on the same repatriation flight, according to John Rio Bautista, the labor attaché and head of the Migrant Workers Office in Dubai. An overseas Filipino worker mother and her infant had a combined 60 kg of check-in luggage allowance, and the Migrant Workers Office fixed the luggage issue for them.

A woman overseas Filipino worker reported losing her purse at Dubai International Airport, prompting the Migrant Workers Office to call the hotel where workers met up, though the purse was not found; she later received her plane ticket at the check-in counter and left.

A diabetic overseas Filipino worker undergoing regular dialysis was initially refused boarding because she had no helper, Rappler reported. The Migrant Workers Office checks if overseas Filipino workers are qualified and have no travel ban before repatriation, Bautista stated.

Bautista stated that the office verifies eligibility and provides support for repatriation, including resolving travel issues for workers.

The Migrant Workers Office in Dubai has jurisdiction over Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, and Umm Al Quwain. Repatriation applications at the office currently average 34 to 35 per day, a decrease compared to the early days of the Middle East conflict in March 2026, when it received 70 requests per day, Bautista said.

In the early days, the average was 200 to 300 requests per week, now down to 100 to 150 per week.

The office currently has 200 pending repatriation requests and continues to accept new applications while scheduling future flights.

Many repatriates were overseas Filipino workers on their first contracts running two to three years, while some had employers who asked them to stay home until conditions improve. Others had dependents including young children, pregnant housewives, and parents. Repatriates receive AED 700 (US$200) in financial aid from the Migrant Workers Office at the assembly area.

The Migrant Workers Office portal for monetary assistance requests opens at 8 am every Tuesday and Friday. The first portal on April 28, 2026, closed after receiving 822 applications in 20 minutes, with an advisory on requirements issued on April 18, 2026. 'Napakabilis noon.

In 20 minutes, 822 ang naitala. Ako po ay personal kong tinitignan sa screen yung pagpasok ng mga requests. Ibig sabihin niyan, nakapaghanda na ng mga dokumento yung ating mga kababayan dahil sa maaga rin tayo nagpalabas ng anunsyo kung ano ang mga requirements, kaya once nag-open yung ating portal for accepting applications, naka-ready na sila,' Bautista said.

The office limits monetary assistance requests to 800 to allow three days for review. Of the 822 requests received on April 28, 2026, 668 were approved, 109 were from overseas Filipino workers with incomplete submissions who may reapply, and 45 were classified as ineligible. 7% of those requests were from overseas Filipino workers whose salaries were slashed.

The second portal opened at 8 am on May 1, 2026, and closed at 8:57 am with 1,027 requests received. Skilled workers make up about 94% or more of the monetary assistance records, including those in the hospitality sector such as restaurant workers. 'Marami talaga ang nangangailangan, mostly yung mga skilled workers na nasa 94% o mahigit ng tala namin,' Bautista stated.

Long-term overseas Filipino workers in the UAE have opted to stay due to families settled there with children studying and spouses working. 'Siguro ang kanilang pamilya ay naririto na rin, kasi sa katagalan nila dito nadala na rin, dito na nag-aaral ang kanilang anak at dito na rin nagta-trabaho ang kanilang asawa.

So, talagang mas pinili na nila ang manatili muna rito, sanay na sila sa sitwasyon dito sa UAE,' Bautista said.

The article was published on May 6, 2026, at 9:40 AM PHT, Rappler reported.