Thousands of Filipino workers in Iraq and Iran are to be evacuated should violence break out in the region, said a statement from Malacañang Palace in the Philippines, as President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the military to prepare contingency plans and be prepared to deploy aircraft and ships at “a moment’s notice”.
President Duterte recently held an emergency meeting with his defense secretary and top military and police officials to discuss the evacuation plans. “President Duterte ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to be prepared to deploy military assets to repatriate overseas Filipinos in the Middle East, particularly from Iran and Iraq, at any moment’s notice,” said a close ally of the president, after the meeting.
There are more than 7,000 Filipino workers and their dependents in Iraq and Iran, including many who work at US and other foreign facilities and commercial establishments in Baghdad.
Other Asian nations with large populations of expatriate labor in the region may also have to take evacuation measures if tensions escalate and spiral into full-blown war between Iran and the US. South Korean government said that nearly 1,900 of its citizens are stationed in Iraq and Iran and the authorities are discussing strengthening protection for them, but not downright evacuation. There are about 1,600 South Koreans in Iraq, mostly working in construction, while another 280 who live in Iran are businesspeople, students or spouses of Iranians.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Indian foreign ministry said India was not planning to evacuate any citizens from the volatile region “as yet.” Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that he had spoken to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “on the evolving situation in the Gulf region” and highlighted “India’s stakes and concerns.” He also spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif. Gulf Arab states are home to over seven million Indian expatriates.