POEA not sending civilian fighters to Iraq, Afghanistan - 2006 POEA Advisory
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) does not process
documents of Filipinos hired as “civilian fighting force” for deployment
to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The July 2004 ban on deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq has not been
lifted and the reported deployment of security forces to Iraq and
Afghanistan did not pass the documentation system of the government.
The government allowed the recruitment of Filipino workers for Iraq in the
latter part of 2003 but only for deployment to campsites which were found
safe from attacks from Iraqi rebels and terrorists. Most of the deployed
workers were assigned to do construction, maintenance, housekeeping, and
catering jobs inside American camps.
The deployment of Filipinos to Afghanistan was also allowed but was
limited to professionals working in projects controlled by the United
Nations (UN). POEA processed the contracts of these workers only after
endorsement and clearance from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
