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Tripoli, March 22: The Philippines government has lifted its ban on Filipino workers coming to work in Libya, saying that as . . .[restrict]far as it is concerned there is now peace and order in the country.
The ban was imposed on February 22, 2011, following the outbreak of the eight-month uprising that overthrew the Qaddafi regime.
According to the Philippine’s Labor and Employment Secretary, Rosalinda Baldoz, the ban on working in Libya was one of three that has now been suspended. Bans on Filipino workers going to Nigeria and South Sudan have also been lifted by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Governing Board, she said.
It is estimated that prior to the revolution, there were more than 26,000 Filipinos in Libya, mainly working in the oil and healthcare sectors. Most were evacuated although a small number refused to leave. Because of their government’s ban they knew that if they did so they would not be able to return.
On December 20, last year, the POEA’s board approved a partial lifting of the ban, allowing those in the medical and oil sectors to return to Libya, subject to proof of existing employment as determined by the POEA..
“The gradual processing is no longer in effect as the Governing Board now allows the resumption of the processing and deployment of Filipino workers to Libya,” Baldoz said.
Despite the partial lifting of the ban, so far there are only 2,152 Filipinos working in Libya according to POEA records. [/restrict]
