DMW to assist 370,000 undocumented Filipinos in US amid threat of mass deportation by January
If President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his campaign promise of mass deportation of immigrants, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is ready to assist Filipinos who might be forced to return to the Philippines.
On Wednesday, the DMW stated that there are an estimated 370,000 undocumented Filipino immigrants in the US who may be affected by this.
“The DMW is prepared to assist our OFWs, whether they are documented or undocumented OFWs. Under the directives of our President, a whole-of-government team is here to provide support to possible deportees,” migrant secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in a statement.
The DMW, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Department of Foreign Affairs have prepared aid that consists of support mechanisms, such as financial, medical and legal assistance through the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (Aksyon) and Emergency repatriation funds.
The DMW said that the Aksyon fund will not just give financial aid but also reintegration support such as job retooling, reskilling and employment facilitation of affected Filipinos.
The Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority are working together to achieve this goal.
The DMW is also exploring job opportunities through government-to-government agreements with Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Hungary, and Japan.
“We will continuously coordinate with the DFA and with the US authorities on monitoring the developments on the ground. Rest assured that DMW, along with its partner agencies, is ready to provide support and assistance to our OFWs,” Cacdac said.
Trump consistently said during his bid for a second term that he plans to deport millions of immigrants once he comes back to the White House. According to Vice President-elect James David Vance, the incoming administration could deport approximately one million immigrants annually.
Trump’s first term in 2017 to 2020 saw the deportation of 300,000 undocumented immigrants every year, the DMW said. There were more than 3,500 Filipinos who were deported, with 503 deported in 2018.
Read: How Trump’s mass deportation plan will impact undocumented Filipinos
