News Update US orders pullout of Filipino workers in Iraq

Filipinos who were hired by American contractors to work in military installations in war-torn Iraq may come soon.

This was after the US government ordered all its military contractors to send home all its foreign workers whose countries impose a deployment ban to Iraq.

Filipinos have been prohibited from working in Iraq since 2004 after a series of suicide bombing attacks and abduction of foreigners, including two Filipinos, followed the US-led war.

A July 20, 2010 memorandum issued by Richard E. Nolan, senior contracting officer of CENTCOM Contracting Command in Iraq, said all contractors operating in Iraq have 20 days or until August 9 to move out expatriate workers covered by the travel ban.

“Of specific interest, individuals from countries the prohibit travel to Iraq, for example, the Philippines, currently in Iraq must be identified and plans made by their employer to get them out of Iraq," the memo said.

It also said that employing individuals with passports that state “not valid in Iraq" violates both host nation and country laws.

It added it is the contractor’s responsibility to ensure that it is not employing people from countries with deployment ban to Iraq.

An inspection of all the camps in Iraq where the foreign workers are housed will be conducted after the 20-day period expires to ensure compliance to the memo. Violators face being blacklisted for future US government contracts.

The CENTCOM said it is “aware" that the Philippine government prohibits its citizens from traveling to Iraq.

Despite the ban, a total of 10,000 to 15,000 Filipinos are believed to be working in Iraq, mostly inside heavily fortified US facilities. - KBK