The Department of Labour and Employment in a board resolution posted the blacklisted countries failed to sign international conventions protecting foreign workers.
POEA Governing Board, said that Section 3 of R.A. 10022 which provides that “the State shall allow the deployment of overseas workers ONLY in countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected."

Labor Department website listed the 41 countries as:
- Afghanistan
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Barbados
- Cambodia
- Cayman Islands
- Chad
- Croatia
- Cuba
- North Korea
- Dominica
- East Timor/Timor Leste
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- India
- Iraq
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Libya
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Montenegro
- Mozambique
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Niger
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Serbia
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sudan
- Swaziland
- Tajikistan
- Tonga
- Turks and Caicos
- Tuvalu
- US Virgin Islands
- Vanuata
- Zimbabwe