Scammers posing as authorized representatives of the Philippine government are targeting Filipinos in the UAE who are seeking help to return home, the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai has warned.
The consulate stressed that no official from the Consulate General or the Migrant Workers Office will ever reach out to anyone in the manner of an agent offering repatriation services on behalf of the Philippine government in exchange for payment. Any such approach, it said, should be treated as a red flag.
Government-facilitated repatriation carries no cost at any point in the process. Filipinos who independently purchase their own tickets and travel home are not considered part of any government-organized repatriation program.
Those caught misrepresenting themselves as part of official repatriation efforts — or collecting fees from Filipino nationals under that pretense — face legal action under applicable laws and regulations. Reports on such incidents may be filed directly with the consulate at dubai.pcg@dfa.gov.ph.
OFWs requiring repatriation assistance should reach the Migrant Workers Office in Abu Dhabi at +971 56 270 9157, +971 54 725 8482, or mwo_abudhabi@dmw.gov.ph, and in Dubai and the Northern Emirates at +971 56 353 5558 or mwo_dubai@dmw.gov.ph. Non-OFWs may contact the Philippine Embassy’s Assistance-to-Nationals unit in Abu Dhabi at +971 50 443 8003 or abudhabi.pe@dfa.gov.ph, and the Philippine Consulate’s ATN unit in Dubai at +971 56 501 5756 or dubai.pcg@dfa.gov.ph.
