Boy, this is a surprise. My thoughts with this is that if Nepalese workers have to leave, that would include security contractors. That is too bad because these are some excellent guys to have for security work. I certainly hope these countries can work on lifting their bans, because all of these workers are bringing back money earned in war zones and spending it in their local economies back home. They are also providing a much needed service in Iraq.
But yeah, if these countries do not want them in Iraq, then we should honor that. But we should also try to be working the diplomatic angle with these countries. All of these folks want an opportunity to work in Iraq, and if Iraq is alright with that and things are safer than several years back, then I do not see the what the issue is. –Matt
Edit: 08/05/2010- It looks like Nepal has lifted the ban for their citizens. It sounds like the Philippines is getting close to lifting their ban. In the comments, I posted two stories that talked about both.
——————————————————————
US orders pullout of all Pinoy workers in Iraq
By Dindo Amparo
07/26/2010
Thousands of Filipino workers in Iraq are on the brink of losing their jobs after the US government ordered all its military contractors to send home expatriate workers whose country imposes a travel ban in Iraq.
The deadline for expatriation is August 9.
In a memorandum issued by the United States Central Command last July 20, Colonel Richard Nolan, senior contracting officer of the Iraw CentCom Contracting Command said: “All contractors in Iraq have 20 days from the date of this letter to ensure their employees comply with US and international law and understood their redeployment responsibilities under the term of their contract.”
The memo added: “It is the contractor’s responsibility to ensure that it is not employing people from countries prohibited from entry to Iraq.”
The decision of the US Central Command was also triggered by reports that some expatriate workers including Filipinos were abandoned by their contractors in various camps throughout Iraq, raising concerns about violations committed by various contractors including hiring workers from countries that have imposed travel and work restrictions.
The Philippines and Nepal are among those mentioned among countries whose nationals were able to enter and work in Iraq despite the travel ban imposed by their host governments.
Most Filipino workers were hired directly by agency contractors operating in neighboring countries like the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan and others.
A Filipina in Iraq, who requested anonymity, said she and fellow Filipino workers are deeply saddened by the US government’s decision to strictly enforce the “no entry to Iraq” policy of various governments including the Philippines.
She said most Filipinos in Iraq are earning relatively well, with the average minimum wage pegged at $800 per month. She added that the peace and order situation in Iraq has greatly improved and working inside US military camps is relatively safe.
They appealed to President Benigno Aquino to immediately send Philippine representatives to Iraq to avert the upcoming forced deportation of thousands of Filipino workers in that country.
The labor department said about 10,000 Filipinos are working in Iraq as of last year despite a travel ban. Iraq’s Charge D’Affaires Adel Mawlood Hamoudi al-Hakimh said the number has already risen to 15,000.
Story here.
Yep – it includes all Neps and flips
I know a few companies that are freaking out over it – and the ones in-country won’t be able to just stay cuz their ID Badges will expire
Sucks big time for these guys
~James G
Comment by James G — Monday, July 26, 2010 @ 5:36 PM
The rumor mill here in-country is the Nepali government will lift their ban tonight
~James G
Comment by James G — Monday, July 26, 2010 @ 6:16 PM
August 9 is not the deadline to repatriate filipinos and Nepalese. It is the time frame (20 days) to indentify those employees whom their country imposed a travel ban to Iraq. THe Nepalese gov't had responded to this new development and planning to lift their ban provided that the US military assure them of their safety in Iraq. As to the Philippines, though no one was sent here to assess the current security situation here yet they are very vocal on keeping the "ban" apparently because it's too dangerous here. The mere fact that the US military is contineously down sizing its troops, is a broader evident that the current peace & order is improving. What is more alarming is what we see in the news, the killings, the massacre robberies you name it and it's everyday in the Phillippines. Working here in Iraq inside military bases is far better than in any parts of Middle East. We are enjoying Zero crime in here, better living conditions , healthy food, MWR, good communication facilities(internet cafe) plus good salaries that we earn to provide the needs of our families back home.
Lifting the ban will further help the new administration in his advocacy to fighting against corruption. If we are allowed to leave the Philippines for Iraq, "under the table" transactions in immigration & DFA will be lessen if not totally eradicated. Again in behalf of the many filipinos working (decent jobs) here in Iraq, we asked the Aquino government to please re-consider our plea to lift the ban or at least a letter of Exemption.
Again, August 9, 2010 is not the dealine please read….
> The letter does not require contractors that are in Iraq illegally to be out of the country in 20 days. The letter requires you to identify individuals to the Government in 20 days. Once individuals are identified, I recommend (company X) develop a plan for how you will repatriate those individuals and present a plan to the contracting officer that allows them time to hire replacement employees, get them in country, get base passes, while not letting the level of service they provide in Iraq suffer. A plan which offers to switch out employees in 60 days to 90 days is a reasonable request, but should be communicated to the contracting officer.
>
> Hopefully this clarifies the issue. If you have any more questions, please let me know.
>
> RICHARD E. NOLAN, Col, USAF
> Senior Contracting Officer – Iraq (SCO-I)
> CENTCOM Contracting Command
> DSN: 318-485-5768 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 318-485-5768 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
> SVOIP: 241-8288
> E-Mail: richard.nolan@iraq.centcom.mil
Comment by Jake S — Monday, July 26, 2010 @ 8:03 PM
Thanks James and thanks Jake. I too want these workers to stay, and I certainly hope these countries will reconsider. The Filipinos and Nepalese, as well as the other countries who have citizens working in the war, are certainly important to the war effort. I am thankful for their dedication and contribution.
Comment by headjundi — Thursday, July 29, 2010 @ 6:03 PM
Cimatu arrives in Iraq amid clamor to lift work ban
By Dindo Amparo, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau Chief
Posted at 08/03/2010 7:47 PM | Updated as of 08/03/2010 8:22 PM
DUBAI – Special envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu has arrived in war-torn Iraq amid growing clamor to lift the work and travel ban of Filipinos in that country.
Cimatu flew last Thursday to Iraq after the US Central Command in Baghdad issued an order to its various contractors to repatriate all its expatriate workers whose countries have an existing work and travel ban.
The companies were given 60 to 90 days to send home their "illegal" workers.
But a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) statement also said Cimatu is in Iraq to assess the security situation of Filipinos based there following the phased withdrawal of US troops and pullout of combat troops by end of August.
Cimatu is expected to submit his report and recommendations to the interagency committee composed of the Office of the Executive Secretary, DFA, Department Labor and Employment, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, among others, upon his return next week.
Reports reaching the ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau in Dubai said Cimatu went last night to the Victory Base Complex in Baghdad.
He was welcomed by Filipinos working in at least 49 companies inside the US military base.
Marivic Hubac, an administrative Assistant at URS Sallyport said Cimatu was quite surprised to see more Filipinos in Camp Victory compared to what he saw when he last visited the camp about a couple of years ago.
The DFA said the number of Filipino workers in Iraq is at 6,000. But a recent statement by an Iraqi diplomat in Manila said the population of Filipino workers in Iraq has grown to as much as 15,000.
On the other hand, Alvin Alvarado, a logistics supervisor at Mantech International Corporation in Camp Liberty said Cimatu told OFWS that he was quite convinced that the peace and order situation in Iraq has greatly improved based on his personal experience after landing safely at the Baghdad International Airport, as well as his land travel to the Victory Base Complex.
Cimatu allegedly promised the Filipino workers he will report the Philippine government all his positive observations in his latest visit to Iraq.
In the same meeting, 2 representatives of separate big companies in Iraq, expressed to Cimatu their full support to lift the work and travel ban of Filipinos in Iraq.
Don Stinson of Anham-Prime Vendors Company and Chuck Strausbaugh of 3di Technologies told Cimatu that Filipino workers are prime movers for the speedy recovery and development of Iraq because their excellent skills and good work attitude.
OFW not keen on Cimatu’s visit
Meanwhile, Migrante International chairperson Garry Martinez said many OFWs are not enthusiastic about the special envoy’s visit to Iraq due to a number of unresolved issues involving Cimatu.
“Hindi welcome si Cimatu sa ating mga kababayan sa Iraq dahil minsan na niyang nilinlang ang mga OFW doon at hindi pinagkalooban ng proteksyon,” Martinez said in a press statement.
Among the issues cited by Martinez were the DFA’s alleged failure to evacuate OFWs during the Iraq war in 2004 despite the allocation of $253,500 repatriation funds and the allegations that Cimatu spent the said funds for the procurement of Humvees, other military vehicles and food for RP troops deployed to Iraq in 2004.
“Until now, no investigation has taken place on the alleged misuse of the repatriation funds. Hindi mga OFW ang nakinabang doon because no evacuation took place in 2005,” Martinez said.
He added that while they welcomed the evacuation of thousands of OFWs in Iraq following the pullout order, they still have many apprehensions.
“Mixed emotions ang ating mga OFWs dahil alam nilang kapag bumalik sila dito ay hindi naman tiyak na magkakatrabaho sila. Most of them would opt to risk danger and death instead of job insecurity here. This is the saddest reality for our OFWs in Iraq,” Martinez said.
The Migrante leader called on the Aquino administration to immediately address the employment of at least 15,000 OFWs who are set to be pulled out from Iraq.
“Hindi sasapat ang P10,000 na reintegration training package na ipinagmamalaki ng DFA. Ang kailangan ng ating mga kababayan ay trabahong nakakabuhay at may katiyakan,” he said.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/08/03/…
Comment by headjundi — Wednesday, August 4, 2010 @ 5:37 PM
Kathmandu lifts ban on working in Iraq to fight unemployment
by Kalpit Parajuli
Lifting the ban imposed in 2004 should lift Nepal’s economy, which depends to the tune of 40 per cent on foreign remittances by Nepali workers. Days ago, US Central Command in Baghdad had called for the repatriation of 30,000 Nepali workers.
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) – The Government of Nepal decided on Tuesday to lift a six-year ban on Nepali workers going to Iraq. The decision was made after the US Central Command in Baghdad called for the repatriation of all workers illegally working on US bases, including more than 30,000 from Nepal. For Nepali authorities, the end of the ban should help the Nepali economy, which is highly dependent (40 per cent) on foreign remittances by Nepali workers.
“We lifted the ban on Nepali workers out of consideration for the present unemployment situation and we have requested American envoy to Nepal Scott H. Delisi, to reconsider the [US Central Command] decision,” Foreign Secretary Madan Kumar Bhattarai said.
The Nepali government banned emigration to Iraq after the murder of 12 Nepali workers in 2004 by Islamic extremists, which unleashed a wave of retaliatory actions against Muslims in Nepal.
However, despite the ban and the risks involved, thousands of Nepalis have left their country to go to Iraq, where they work at menial jobs in military bases, or are hired as security guards by foreign companies.
According to Nepali police, each migrant has to pay up to US$ 4,000 to human traffickers to leave the country.
Indians and Filipinos are also among the workers most sought after by foreign agencies operating in Iraq.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Kathmandu-lifts-ba…
Comment by headjundi — Wednesday, August 4, 2010 @ 5:40 PM
how many days when roy cimatu left philippines to visit the pilipino in iraq but until know there no report come from him what happened we are still waiting and hoping that the ban will lift hope we recieve a message almost a week know for the report of roy cimatu.
Comment by rodelyn ablog — Wednesday, August 11, 2010 @ 7:44 PM
wag na tayong umasa pa,wala na rin magagawa ang nasa gobyerno dahil hindi nila ni lift ang ban,yan ang sabi ni alberto romulo gusto nya na bumalik si cimatu tingnan ang sitwasyun kung wala na ang american soldier ano na ang kalagayan sa iraq kung safe alisin ang ban,ngayon pa eh umuuwi na ang mga ofws marami ng umuwi…masakit din isipin na tinuring na bayani ang ofws pero pakinabang lang ang sa kanila hindi iniisip kung ano ang daratnan ng uuwing 6000 ofws na walang daratnang trabaho sa pinas…nasaan ang sinabi ni pnoy na kayo ang boss ko?????mamamayan muna?????
Comment by vicky — Monday, August 23, 2010 @ 7:25 AM