Senate President Francis Escudero slammed a reported U.S. plan to deport Asian immigrants, including Filipinos, to Libya, calling it “cruel.”
American immigration authorities have begun expelling undocumented immigrants as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown. Reports that some Asian nationals could be sent to war-torn Libya—known for its harsh treatment of detainees—have drawn condemnation from human rights groups and foreign governments.
A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of Asian migrants to Libya, citing a previous order allowing them to challenge transfers to third countries.
“Filipinos are not camels to be dumped on some Libyan desert. They are human beings who deserve to be accorded all the rights by a state who claim to cherish and uphold them,” said Escudero.
He urged Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez to check on all Filipinos facing deportation and provide legal aid if needed.
“If the United States wants to deport our citizens, then we are willing to welcome our kababayan back. There is absolutely no need for this cruelty to export them to a third country,” according to him.
“Dignified repatriation of our brothers and sisters is all we seek, not some rendition to an offshore penitentiary in a country which does not want them.”IMT
