Report: 40,000 Filipinos unable to take Middle East jobs amid war

More than 40,000 Filipinos who were set to leave for jobs in Israel, Lebanon and Gulf countries are unable to depart due to the war, as limited flight availability has disrupted worker deployment to the region, the Philippine Daily Star reported.

The report said many workers are staying in temporary accommodation provided by agencies in Manila or have returned to their home provinces.

Overseas deployment to the Middle East is expected to decline further in the coming months, the report quoted a migration expert as saying. 

The Philippine government has repatriated more than 4,000 workers and their dependents, while about 2 million Filipinos are employed across the region.