Filipino children repatriated under embassy programme

TDT | Manama

The Philippine Embassy continues to pursue its commitment, under its “Oplan Kabataan” Programme, to fly home undocumented Filipino children from Bahrain to give them the opportunity for a better future. The embassy announced that six children were successfully repatriated with their parents in the last week of August after processing their documents and exit clearances with Bahrain authorities.

The oldest child repatriated was five years and 11 months old, while the youngest was only three months old, the embassy added. The “Oplan Kabataan” programme, which roughly translates to “Operation Youth”, was launched by the Philippine Embassy last year to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to highlight every child’s right to a name, nationality, and access to quality healthcare and education. The embassy has so far facilitated the DNA testing of a total of 22 children and has repatriated a total of 10 minors with seven accompanying parents under the programme.