---

PUBLIC ADVISORY

DFA APPEALS TO ALL OFWs REMAINING IN LIBYA TO RETURN HOME IMMEDIATELY

20 July 2014 – The Department of Foreign Affairs strongly reiterates its call to all Filipino nationals in Libya to return home as soon as possible. Alert Level 4 has been raised due to the latest security developments in Libya, the increasing violence and lawlessness, the closure of major airports, the heightened security threat to Filipinos, particularly in Benghazi, where a Filipino worker was kidnapped on July 15 and confirmed dead yesterday.

These events indicate that it is no longer safe for our OFWs to remain in Libya. For their own safety, the DFA urges them to immediately contact the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli to register for repatriation.

Since the start of the crisis, the DFA has continuously monitored the security developments in Libya while remaining sensitive to the needs of overseas Filipino workers in that country. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario headed to Libya on May 28 to personally assess the situation on the ground. The DFA subsequently raised the Alert Level to 3 (Voluntary Repatriation) on May 29 due to the political and security instability there. A Rapid Response Team, as well as an augmentation team from the DFA, were also sent shortly to Libya to assist the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli in the repatriation efforts.

The Philippine Embassy in Tripoli reached out to the Filipino community and to employers in Libya to brief them on the situation and inform them of DFA’s responses to the crisis. Embassy officers made representations with employers to promote the labor interests of OFWs and obtain employers’ cooperation to ensure their safety.

The DFA also put up 24-hour hotlines for families of OFWs in Libya. Those who have questions and concerns about the conditions of their relatives in Libya can call the hotline numbers (02) 552-7105 / (02) 834-4685. Families may also send their queries by e-mail to .

To register for repatriation, OFWs in Libya can directly get in touch with the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli. The Embassy's address is KM 7 Gargaresh Road, Abu Nawas, P.O. Box 12508, Tripoli. Filipinos can contact the Embassy through the telephone numbers (00218) 918-244-208 / (00218) 911061166, and the e-mail addresses ; . 

---

See also:

DFA RAISES ALERT LEVEL IN GAZA STRIP