OFWs renew calls to lift deployment ban on Afghanistan

Overseas Filipino workers currently in Manila have renewed their call to lift the five-year deployment ban in Afghanistan, citing the “safe and secure conditions” in United States military bases where OFWs are employed.

In a news release on Wednesday, the Filipinos in Afghanistan (FIA), an organization of Filipino workers in the Islamic republic, reiterated their appeal for the lifting of the ban, which it said will affect some 6,000 Filipino workers there.

“More than 6,000 Filipino workers in Afghanistan are urgently appealing to President Benigno Aquino III to lift the deployment ban for Filipinos to Afghanistan to allow more OFWs to be employed gainfully amidst the safe and secure conditions in US bases,” the release stated.

The FIA said it represents more than 1,000 Filipinos working in high-level positions with international organizations, and skilled workers from 64 US bases all over Afghanistan.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) ordered its contractors on September 17 to remove third country nationals (TCN) from US military and other facilities in Afghanistan, whose domestic laws prohibit citizens from working there. (See: US orders pullout of Pinoy workers in Afghanistan)

OFW Catherine Sobrevega of the FIA earlier sent the President and other pertinent government agencies a petition asking for the ban to be lifted and for them to be allowed to stay in Afghanistan.

In the petition, Sobrevega cited other reasons to lift the ban:

* Filipinos have to endure not seeing their families for longer periods of time because the ban prevents them from returning to the Philippines on vacation;
* The ban affects the image of the Filipino workers in Afghanistan;
* The ban gives airport authorities opportunities to extort money from workers returning to Afghanistan because carrying Afghanistan entry permits makes them easy prey for immigration personnel;
* The current ban is unfair to Filipino workers there, citing that in other countries like Somalia, no ban has been imposed even though Filipino seamen are being held hostage by Somali pirates;
* Employers have adopted strict security measures for foreign workers’ housing and transportation.

The FIA also said that OFWs in Afghanistan are willing to adopt security measures that may be recommended by the Foreign Affairs and Labor and Employment departments to ensure their safety.

The Philippines’ travel and deployment ban on Afghanistan has been in effect since 2005 due to the unstable security situation in that country, which has been wracked by a succession of invasions, insurgencies, and changes of regime.

Despite the existing deployment ban and the volatile situation in Afghanistan, however, Filipinos continue working in the war-torn country due to offers of high salaries and benefits. (See: High pay lures OFWs to Afghanistan despite ban)

In October 2010, six Filipinos, which included pilots and mechanics, died on board a cargo plane that slammed into a mountain east of the Afghan capital Kabul. (See: DFA: 6 OFWs dead in Afghanistan plane crash)—JV, GMANews.TV