Cairo, 15 March 2016 - IOM returned a new-born child to her extended family in the Philippines after the passing away of her mother in Cairo.

IOM worked closely with the Embassy of the Philippines in returning the new born. The Embassy conducted necessary family tracing procedures prior to departure and secured relevant travel documents and an escort. IOM assisted through the provision of medical assistance and covered the transportation costs for the orphan.

The Embassy also requested IOM’s assistance in bringing the body of the deceased mother to her final resting place. IOM arranged to save the body in a morgue in Cairo and facilitated the transfer of her remains back home.

The representative of the Embassy of Philippines commended IOM on their assistance adding that “We always appreciate the supporting assistance IOM provides. When the family [of the infant] hears about the assistance that has been provided, they will be so happy, as the family’s salary in the Philippines is small and they would not have been able to make this happen without IOM’s assistance.”

Through the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programmes, IOM has assisted 1,485 stranded migrants who were willing to return to their home countries but lacked the means to do so in since 2011. Special attention has been given to the most vulnerable such as Victims of Trafficking, migrants in detention/reception facilities, and unaccompanied and separated children. The reintegration assistance is used by the migrants to finance business start-ups in the majority of cases.

With regards to assisting Filipino migrants in Egypt, IOM Egypt has extended its assistance since 2011, where 340 stranded Filipino migrants were assisted with voluntary repatriation after being evacuated in Libya. Furthermore, and in response to the needs of female Filipino migrants, IOM provided direct assistance to a total of 44 female domestic workers in Egypt.

For further information, please contact Amy Edwards, IOM Egypt. Tel:  +202-27365140  Email: iomegypt@iom.int.