Total Deployment Ban to South Sudan

The government has imposed a total ban on the deployment of workers to South Sudan due to the unstable peace and security situation, and escalating violence in that country which threatens the safety of Filipinos workers in the North African region, the labor department announced yesterday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the deployment ban followed an alert level 4 declaration by the Department of Foreign Affairs due to the escalation of violence.

In a resolution, the governing board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration decided to “impose a total ban on the processing and deployment of all OFWs bound for South Sudan, until further notice.”

The board is chaired by the labor secretary.

The DFA said it raised the alert in South Sudan to level 4 from alert level 2 due to the upsurge in violence that erupted between the forces allied with President Salva Kiir and the Protection Unit from the SPLA in Operation (SPLA-IO) of Vice President Riek Machar. Alert level 4 provides for mandatory repatriation of Filipino workers in the affected area.

POEA had initially requested an advice from the DFA and clarification on the alert level in South Sudan and the foreign affairs department reiterated that the country remains under Alert Level 4 since July 19, 2019.

The resolution also noted the confirmation from the DFA that South Sudan is non-compliant on the review of Posts Certification pursuant to Section 3 of R.A. 10022 due to the current unstable peace and order in the country.

R.A. 10022 provides that DFA should issue a certification specifying the country’s compliance with any of the conditions on the deployment of Filipino workers. (DOLE PR)