Manila expected to resume sending OFWs to Kuwait in first quarter of 2024

The Philippine Ministry of Labor, represented by the Migrant Workers Administration, and the Association of Secretaries of Employment Agencies in Manila, have begun broad and serious movements in coordination with the Kuwaiti side, in an attempt to break the current stalemate between the two countries and resume a joint dialogue, so that a consensus can be reached to end the existing labor dispute.

The ban imposed by the Kuwaiti side on bringing in Filipino workers since last May has been lifted and Bassam Al-Shammari, a specialist in domestic worker affairs, said a delegation from the Philippine Ministry of Labor is expected to visit Kuwait next December to narrow the gap of viewpoints and ensure the resumption of sending new domestic workers from Manila soon, especially in light of the two moratorium decisions issued recently by the two countries.

Al-Shammari says, if the joint efforts succeeded in resolving the current crisis, the ban would be ended and that Filipinas would be sent back to the country during the first quarter of 2024, noting that the number of Filipino domestic workers in the Kuwaiti market is estimated at about 200,000, constituting 50 percent of the total number of female household workers. “which confirms the importance of this category of labor among most Kuwaiti and expatriate families who prefer the services Filipino OFWs for several reasons, most notably ease of communication, good educational level, and knowledge of the customs and traditions of society.”

Al-Shammari added, “We expect, once the ban is lifted, that thousands of new Filipino workers will enter the Kuwaiti market, especially in light of the severe shortage of these workers currently suffering since the decision to stop issuing new visas, coinciding with the expiry of the employment contracts, which are limited to two years, and the refusal of thousands of workers to renew the contracts.”