An official at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait said that 484 Filipino children, who were born out of wedlock in the Gulf state, were repatriated in 2018, the Kuwait Times reported.

The official added that relocating the babies took place with the help of Kuwait’s Interior Ministry, after the Philippines said that it will assist children born out of wedlock abroad.

Sadly, the children were conceived as a result of illegal relationships or rapes, according to Al-Rai newspaper.

Glenda Relova, Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), said all the children’s needs were fully attended to during their stay at the embassy shelters until they were deported to the Philippines,” Arab Times Online reported.

“The Ministry of Welfare is helping to bring the Filipinos back to their country in cooperation with the attaches, especially from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia (Jeddah, Riyadh), the UAE and Qatar, and providing psychosocial counseling to individuals and groups,” said Relova.