Kuwait Times, Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | Shawwal 20, 1444
Kuwait suspends work, entry visas for Filipinos
Kuwait :
Kuwait suspended all types of work and entry visas for Filipinos on Tuesday
after the Asian country allegedly violated a bilateral labor agreement with the
state, interior ministry sources told Kuwait Times. They said the suspension
came at the orders of Interior Minister Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah “because
Philippines has not complied with the provisions of the labor agreement between
the two countries”. The decision was made after “Philippines has breached the
conditions and provisions of the labor agreement”, the sources said, adding the
decision aims to impose the sovereignty of the state. The Philippine Embassy in
Kuwait said late Tuesday it has not been notified yet of any such decision by
the Kuwaiti authorities.
Philippines in February halted the deployment of first-time workers, especially
domestic helpers, to Kuwait following the gruesome murder of a 35-year old
Filipina maid by a Kuwaiti teenager.
The body of Jullebee Ranara was found in the desert and the 17-year old son of
her employer was detained by police.
Philippine labor officials said in February they planned to engage in
negotiations with Kuwait to review the labor agreement which was signed by the
two countries in 2018. The agreement was signed following reports of increased
abuses against Filipino workers, especially domestic helpers, in Kuwait. There
are 268,000 Filipinos working and living in Kuwait.
Earlier, the Kuwait Progressive Movement strongly rejected what it said is the
exploitation of expatriate workers in the country, calling on authorities not to
single them for blame for the imbalance in the demographic structure, as expats
form two-thirds of Kuwait’s population. The rejection came in a statement issued
by the leftist movement after the Cabinet announced late Monday the
establishment of a national committee to regulate the population in the country,
mainly to reduce the number of expats.
The statement rejected “the discriminatory proposition that holds expats
responsible for the demographic imbalance, which was the result of several
factors, including visa trade and recruitment of foreign workers because their
wages are much lower”. The movement said expat workers face a series of
discriminatory measures including low wages, delayed or unpaid salaries, long
working hours, confiscation of passports and others. It decried the kafala or
sponsorship system, describing it as a form of slavery, where foreign workers
are forcibly bonded to their employers.