Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor's donation to Al Jalila Foundation will also be used to renovate the nephrology unit at Dubai Hospital
uae20 hours ago
Filipino expatriates, who are planning to go home for the first time, are worried they might face problems when they return to the UAE because of the “new travel guidelines” released by the Philippines' Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat).
Based on the Iacat guidelines that will take effect on September 3, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returning to their country of work will be asked —“if necessary" — to show other documents such as certificate of employment, job contract, or pay slip. This is aside from the OEC (overseas employment certificate) that is mandatory for all OFWs to produce at the Philippine immigration.
The guidelines are aimed at curbing illegal recruitment and human trafficking, according to Philippine authorities. Dubai-based Maricris (who requested not to give her full name), however, sees otherwise. She told Khaleej Times: “The term 'if necessary' would actually bring confusion to travellers.”
“As an OFW, I’m already required to secure an OEC whenever I travel back home. To get an OEC, I have to submit my employment contract and get it verified. So, why then do I need to show it again to our immigration officials when it’s already part of getting an exit pass?” Maricris added.
Barney Almazar, director at Gulf Law in the UAE, Philippines, UK and Portugal, noted: “The regulations are overly restrictive considering that there are non-intrusive alternatives available that could achieve the same objective of preventing human trafficking.”
He underscored: “The Philippine authorities should strike a balance between the collective welfare of the community and the individual rights and freedoms of Filipinos. The government must respect one's fundamental right to travel and any restrictions placed on these rights should be narrowly tailored to achieve the public purpose, safeguarding individual rights, and preventing potential abuse of power.”
Almazar, who is also a member of the Philippine Bar and holder of a UAE legal consultancy licence, noted that “travellers should not be deprived of their rights due to the criminal acts of traffickers. Government action must be geared towards the criminals and not to the travellers whose rights are constitutionally protected.”
He shared the following remedies that can be taken:
Philippine government officials have issued an apology and explained that the revised guidelines are actually just a "clarification of existing rules”.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said: "More than 95 per cent of departing Filipinos would not need to present more documents apart from the basic ones.”
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) also assured travellers that "it will not require more travel documents" aside from the basic papers: A valid passport, valid visa, boarding pass, and confirmed return or roundtrip ticket, if necessary. OFWs still have to secure an exit clearance or OEC.
ALSO READ:
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor's donation to Al Jalila Foundation will also be used to renovate the nephrology unit at Dubai Hospital
uae20 hours ago
He was a towering figure in education, social service, and corporate governance
uae22 hours ago
For the first time, dates for both Grade 10 and Grade 12 board exams have been released 86 days ahead
uae22 hours ago
The outage comes on a day bitcoin surged to levels to over $98,000 and pulled other crypto stocks along with it
uae23 hours ago
After years of practicing in Al Ain, Yas Marina Circuit and Dubai Autodrome, Al Jaeedi decided to take another hobby into action
uae23 hours ago
Annual educational fees total Dh40,000, with additional Dh40,000 for therapy services, varying based on individual needs
uae23 hours ago
The exhibition, titled Eternal Letters: Qur’an Manuscripts from the Abdul Rahman Al Owais Collection, spans over 1,300 years of history
uae1 day ago
Students have expressed their love for the milk’s taste, with many noting that their families also purchase it for home use
uae1 day ago