DMW: Nearly 900 OFWs repatriated from Kuwait since May

Almost 900 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been repatriated since May as the Philippines and Kuwait have yet to settle their issues on policies for migrant workers, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Thursday.

"Of course, we're thankful na patuloy ang safe repatriation ng mga OFWs natin. Halos aabot na ng 900 ang napauwi since last May," DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac said in a press briefing.

(Of course, we’re thankful the safe repatriation of our OFWs is ongoing. Nearly 900 have been repatriated since last May.)

He made the statement when asked about the status of the dialogue between the two countries regarding their concerns with OFWs.

"With Kuwait, we are still continually monitoring the situation along with the [Department of Foreign Affairs]. We're hopeful, still, talks will be underway," he said.

Cacdac said the DMW is looking forward to expanding bilateral labor relations between the Philippines and Kuwait.

In May, the Kuwaiti government suspended all new visas for OFWs due to the Philippines’ reported violations of their bilateral labor agreement signed in 2018.

These supposed violations include housing workers in shelters, searching for runaways without involving state institutions, communicating with Kuwaiti citizens without permission from authorities, and pressuring Kuwaiti employers to add clauses to employment contracts.

The ban came three months after Manila suspended its deployment of household service workers to Kuwait due to cases of abuse, including the killing of Filipina household worker Jullebee Ranara.

Ranara's body was found burned in the middle of a desert in Kuwait and was reportedly raped and impregnated by the suspect, the 17-year-old son of her employer. —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News