ON May 10, 2023, Kuwait reportedly suspended all types of work and entry visas for Filipinos after the Philippines allegedly violated a bilateral labor agreement with the country.
News outlet Kuwaiti Times reported that according to the Ministry of the Interior of Kuwait, the suspension reportedly was due to the Philippines having not “complied with the provisions of the labor agreement between the two countries.”
“I am calling on the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to immediately seek clarification on this alleged violation,” Salo the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs stated.
“We need to find out what exactly is the violation so we can immediately take the appropriate action in addressing the same for the welfare of our OFWs already in Kuwait and those expecting to be deployed there,” Salo added.
It can be noted that the Philippines imposed a ban on first time workers in February after the brutal death of Jullebee Ranara at the hands of the son of her Kuwaiti Employer. According to the latest data from the DMW, there are around 268,000 OFWs in Kuwait.
“The welfare of our OFWs is of paramount national interest, and the government needs to immediately address concerns of the Kuwaiti Government,” Salo remarked.
“I also urge the DMW to establish an office within the department specifically tasked with engaging concerned officials of other countries on the implementation of our bilateral agreements so we can avoid being blindsided by sudden impositions like this. We need to adopt proactive measures to prevent similar occurences in the future,” Salo concluded.
