Nanawagan ngayon si Kabayan partylist Rep. Ron Salo sa mga undocumented Filipinos sa United States na posibleng maharap sa deportation sa ilalim ng bagong Trump administration.
Payo niya sa mga kababayan sa US na undocumented na, tumalima sa panawagan ni Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez na magpa-voluntary kung wala nang ibang ligal na opsyon.
Sa pagtaya ni Ambassador Romualdez, nasa 300,000 Filipino nationals, na pumasok sa US nang ligal, ngunit kalaunan ay nag-overstay na sa kanilang visa na maaaring maapektuhan ng mas mahigpit na immigration policies ng papasok na Trump administration.
“We join Ambassador Romualdez’s call for undocumented Filipinos in the U.S. to consider voluntary repatriation if no legal options remain. Returning voluntarily gives them an opportunity to be with their loved ones they may not have seen in years, or even in decades, restart their lives on solid ground, and explore new opportunities here in the Philippines.” ani Salo.
Hinikayat din ni Salo ang mga maaapektuhang overstaying Filipinos na kung nais nilang makabalik muli sa US ay mas maigi dumaan sa legal na proseso.
“Voluntary repatriation is always a better option than forced repatriation, as the affected Filipinos won’t have to suffer the legal consequences and indignities of being forced to be sent back to the Philippines.”
Kasabay nito nanawagan din si Salo para sa isang whole-of-government, whole-of-society, at whole-of-nation approach, para masiguro na maibigay ang angkop na suporta, para sila ay makapagsimula muli ng kanilang buhay sa Pilipinas.
“The government has existing reintegration programs for returning Filipinos, but we need all agencies of the government particularly the DMW, OWWA, DOLE, DILG, DSWD, and TESDA to collaborate and come up with robust and comprehensive reintegration plans and programs for returning Filipinos from the U.S. We need to ensure that we’re able to assist them to either find jobs or start their businesses, and leverage the skills, competencies and experiences they acquired in the U.S.,” sabi pa ni Salo.
