The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has alerted embassies and consulates in the 27 member-states of the European Union (EU) of the possible mass deportation of close to 100,000 undocumented Filipino workers in those countries after the EU Parliament adopted the draft on implementing tougher moves to ease out foreign illegal migrants in the union.

At the same time, Esteban Conejos Jr., foreign affairs undersecretary for migrant workers affairs, activated an interagency group to prepare for the mass deportation of an estimated 200,000 undocumented Filipino workers in Malaysia.

He said the situation of undocumented Filipinos in Malaysia is more delicate, as the deportees include women and children who have to travel for more than 30 hours on a boat to return to the Philippines.

An average of 150 to 200 undocumented Filipinos are being deported from Sabah every week on a regular basis since 2002. There are now 2,800 Filipinos detained in Malaysia for illegally staying in that country.

“We have always asked the Malaysian authorities to require Filipino deportees to undergo a predeparture medical checkup to ensure they are fit to travel by boat for 30 hours,” said Conejos during a press briefing on Wednesday.

The bilateral relations between Malaysia and the Philippines were severely strained in 2002 after the deaths of two Filipino babies as they were being deported to Zamboanga at the height of the mass deportation of illegal migrant workers in Malaysia. A 14-year-old Filipino girl was also raped by Malaysian authorities while in detention. The cases have prompted the late foreign affairs secretary Blas Ople to file two consecutive diplomatic protests against Malaysia for the harsh treatment of Filipino illegal workers.

“There are indications that things have improved in terms of the treatment of Filipino illegal workers because we have not heard of similar events since then,” said Conejos.

Meanwhile, Conejos said the DFA has instructed the heads of posts in the EU member-states to monitor the implementation of the new EU policy on undocumented foreign workers. EU member- states are set to implement the common policy on foreign illegal workers in 2010.

“We will not contest that sovereign right of the EU states to decide on whom to admit and reject subject to customary laws,” said Conejos. “But the procedures [of deportation] must comply with the international human-rights laws.”

Conejos admitted that there is huge number of undocumented Filipino workers in EU member-states, specifically in France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. The DFA estimates that there are more than 90,000 undocumented Filipino workers in the EU countries.

“We have instructed our posts in Europe to look at how this [EU policy] will develop in the next two days and monitor the situation of the affected Filipino workers,” said Conejos.

The DFA official also advised undocumented Filipino workers in Europe to take advantage of the options being provided by host governments that will allow them to regularize their stay.

“If the host government is providing options for them to regularize, by all means regularize,” said Conejos.

He said these options, along with amnesty programs for illegal immigrants, are now being implemented in Spain and Italy.

The DFA official also stressed that Filipino illegal workers should also comply with return orders being issued by European states to prevent possible harsh treatments by the implementing authorities.

“If you are undocumented. . . you are vulnerable to abuse,” said Conejos. “But we appeal to the European authorities that when they deport, they should do it in a humane manner.”