The Interior Ministry has announced that the issuance of Kuwaiti visas for Philippine nationals will be suspended until further notice, raising the distance between the two countries even more.
The measure is a counteraction in response to the Philippines’ halting deployment of domestic workers to Kuwait, which was introduced in February after the discovery of the body of the domestic worker, Jullebee Ranara, who was maltreated and murdered by her Kuwaiti employer’s son, VisaGuide.World reports.
According to the Kuwaiti government, Philippine nationals represent almost six percent of the population of Kuwait, which accounts for some 282,000 inhabitants, while Kuwaitis represent 32 per cent of its 4.7 million population.
Philippine nationals are often moving abroad for employment purposes, with almost ten per cent of the country’s gross domestic product relying on remittances. Domestic workers are some of the most common Filipino workers that head to oil-rich Gulf states such as Kuwait.
The latter has some stringent visa system in place, which tie workers to specific employers by taking their documents away and leaving them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
Furthermore, the Kuwaiti interior ministry is charging the Philippines with accusations of violating a bilateral labour agreement made in 2018, which regulated and improved worker protections, as this isn’t the first time that disputes and deaths of domestic workers in Kuwait have happened.
Some of the violations that the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry lists include the housing of workers in shelters, searching for runaways without the knowledge of state institutions, unauthorised communication and pressuring Kuwaiti employers to change employment contracts.
In response, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs responded by pointing out that these actions are focused on safeguarding the welfare of its nationals and workers. At the same time, the Foreign Affairs Department has condemned the Philippine embassy abroad, saying it failed to protect its citizens abroad.
“Providing protection to a country’s citizens abroad is a well-established duty of consular offices under international law and conventions,” the statement said.
While the two countries are dealing with the dispute, the impact on both countries and the affected workers remains unknown. Suspending visa issuance for Philippine nationals in Kuwait adds to hindering the already challenging issue of worker protection and employer rights in this country. Some more negotiations and diplomatic efforts may be introduced in an effort to find a resolution that protects the well-being of Filipino workers while also respecting Kuwaiti authorities’ concerns.
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