40,000 Filipino workers unable to return to work due to war in Middle East

More than 40,000 Filipinos who were supposed to go to Israel, Lebanon and Gulf countries are still unable to leave the country, Qatar-based Al Jazeera reported, citing Philippine media.
The reduction in flights to the Middle East has made it difficult for workers to go abroad. The report quoted an immigration expert as saying that the number of workers sent to the region will further decrease in the second and third quarters of 2026. Those who were supposed to go to the region are now temporarily staying in shelters provided by employment agencies in Manila, or have been sent back to their respective provinces.
The Philippine government has already repatriated more than 4,000 Filipino workers and their families from the Middle East. There are currently an estimated two million Filipinos working in the Middle East, most of them in the Gulf region.