New rules for Filipino domestic workers due to partial ban
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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 4: Outraged over a recent killing of a Filipino maid partial ban of Filipino maids was imposed on Kuwait by Philippines authorities. An advisory posted on social media signed by Philippine Labor Attache to Kuwait Nasser Mustafa read as follows “The ban applies only to visa 20 (domestic helpers) for both new hires and ‘balik mangagawa’ (returning OFWs). This includes the verification, accreditation and processing of individual contracts and additional job orders for visa 20. All overseas employment certificates issued to domestic workers by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on or before 5 pm of Jan 3, 2020 shall be valid for deployment.”
Kuwait delegation visiting the Philippines to discuss the problem of domestic work due to the partial ban announced by the Philippines authorities of its domestic workers to Kuwait after the recent killing a maid by her Kuwaiti employers, the ban includes new contracts and returnees from who want to leave their sponsors reports Al Qabas
With regard to Kuwait’s efforts, sources learned that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is communicating with the Philippine authorities to normalize the situation and individual incident cannot be generalized to all Kuwaitis and expats in Kuwait. Sources pointed out that the Federation of Offices is currently trying, through a delegation visiting the Philippines and meeting with its counterpart, to find urgent solutions to the issue of partial ban, given that there are many contracts signed between the two parties in addition to hundreds of transactions that have been suspended.
Rising prices
Due to partial ban imposed by the Philippines on the travel of its domestic workers to Kuwait, the prices of hiring Filipino maids increased from KD 200 to KD 550 per maid, and it also affected the prices of African, Indian and Sri Lankan maids. The transfer rates of domestic workers did not stop with the Filipino only, as the transactions of African, Indian and Silankan workers also increased between 1100 and 1250 dinars after they ranged between 850 and 1,000 dinars.
Black market
On the other hand from black market domestic workers were provided from the offices of Jleeb and Farwaniya, where workers in offices in Hawalli confirmed providing domestic workers from Asian countries other than Filipino now to those who wish was available for 1250 dinars. They pointed out that Indian and Sri Lankan nationalities were available in addition to some African nationalities who are new workers who entered the country and have not yet performed medical examination procedures and can be transfer them directly to the customer.
Partial ban
In a statement carried by the Philippine News Agency and Philippine newspapers, the Philippine Labor Minister Sylvester Bello said that the ban that followed the death of the maid Jeanelyn Villavende which exempted the skilled workers or Filipinos who are already in Kuwait to work, stating that this partial ban is a clear message, and may lead to a total ban if Justice is not done for Jeanelyn Villavende. ”
Widening the ban
The Philippine Ministry of Labor and Employment has also announced expanding the partial ban on the deployment of domestic workers heading to Kuwait, and Minister Belo said last Friday that he ordered the Overseas Employment Board in the Philippines to expand the ban to include domestic workers who return to Kuwait with new contracts. The Kuwaiti government asked to postpone the imposition of partial ban and allow the court to investigate and to give justice as Jeanelyn Villavende’s employers were already being arrested and were in custody. Minister Belo said “If the suspects are finally charged with the murder of Jannelyn, we will consider lifting the partial ban on publication”
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