Philippines coordinating with Kuwait embassy, recruitment agencies after entry ban

The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is coordinating with its embassy in Kuwait and recruitment agencies in response to the Kuwaiti government’s entry ban on Filipino workers.

In a statement issued on Friday, the DMW said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) informed it of the suspension of new entry visas for Filipinos.

“We shall continue to pursue the track of labor diplomacy in ensuring the welfare and safety of our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), while we await more details as to the rationale and issues surrounding the action of the Kuwait government,” the statement said.

“We are closely working with the DFA and the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait (PE-Kuwait) in a unified, whole-of-government approach to the situation.”

Local media in Kuwait reported on Tuesday that the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior had banned all types of work and entry visas for Filipinos as per the orders of interior minister Sheikh Talal al-Khaled al-Sabah.

The suspension reportedly was due to the Philippines having not “complied with the provisions of the labor agreement between the two countries,” local news outlet Kuwait Times quoted unnamed sources in the ministry as saying.

However, no further details were provided.

The Philippines’ DMW said it was “ready to assist our OFWs affected by this action of the Kuwait government,” and urged all Kuwait-bound workers to connect with them directly.

The latest suspension would not be the first entry ban between the two countries. In February, the Philippines barred first-time workers, especially domestic workers, from entering Kuwait after the horrific rape and murder of a housemaid by a Kuwaiti teenager.

About 268,000 Filipino workers are employed in Kuwait. According to data from the Department of Migrant Workers, there were more than 24,000 cases of violation and abuse against Filipino workers in 2022 alone.

According to the DMW, instances of abuse against Filipino workers have increased in recent years, with dozens reporting cases of rape, human trafficking, labor contract violations, and illegal terminations.