Travel and job deployment disrupted as Philippine workers face delays due to ongoing war tensions
More than 40,000 Filipinos scheduled to work in Israel, Lebanon, and Gulf countries are unable to leave the Philippines due to limited flights and ongoing regional conflict, according to the Philippine Daily Star.
The disruption is affecting overseas employment, with many workers now temporarily staying in accommodation centers provided by agencies in Manila or returning to their home provinces. Migration experts warn that worker deployment to the Middle East will likely decline further in the second and third quarters of 2026.
The Philippine government has already repatriated over 4,000 Filipino workers and their dependents from the Middle East. Currently, an estimated 2 million Filipinos are employed across the region, mainly in Gulf countries.
The disruption highlights the ongoing challenges faced by migrant workers amid geopolitical tensions and the impact of war on global labor mobility.
Source: Al Jazeera