The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. is coordinating with United States authorities over the reported denial of entry to Filipino seafarers at US ports of entry.
The embassy said it is aware of the reports that Filipino seafarers have encountered this “in recent months.”
The embassy noted that it has engaged with concerned agencies of the United States government, including the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security, on the reported denial of entry encountered by Filipino seafarers at U.S. ports of entry in recent months.
It also noted that the denial of entry of Filipino seafarers was done in accordance with existing US laws, regulations and policies.
“It has been informed that the denial of entry for the concerned seafarers was done in accordance with existing U.S. laws, regulations and policies,” it said in a statement on October 21.
The statement didn’t disclose any details regarding the cases involved. Neither the U.S. Department of State nor the Department of Homeland Security publicly commented on the matter at the time of writing this article.
“The embassy will nevertheless continue engaging with the said agencies regarding these denials of entry and ensure that mandatory consular notification is observed in such cases,” it added.
On the issue of assistance to be provided to the affected seafarers in terms of finding new employment, the embassy notes that this matter is under the purview of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which is mandated to provide assistance to overseas Filipino workers.
The Philippine Embassy also highlighted that the Department of Migrant Workers had previously stated its readiness to provide assistance to affected seafarers.
