DOLE eyes expansion of OFW deployment ban to other Mideast countries


By 
Ferdinand Patinio, Philippine News Agency
 | , 6:10 AM
File photo of Overseas Filipino Workers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Photo by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.
MANILA, Philippines — The government is looking to expand the deployment ban on overseas Filipino workers, particularly household service workers, to other Middle East nations unless these countries can assure the protection of the workers’ rights and welfare.
“For example, in Saudi, it is a common malpractice that the employer trades or switches their worker to other employers. That’s what they call the kafala system and it is always for consideration,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.
“We will impose the same restrictions (as in Kuwait) and will consider deployment ban if strengthened protection of our OFWs is not assured,” he added.
He said the government is pushing for the inclusion of a ban on kafala in an agreement being negotiated with Kuwait.
Under the kafala or sponsorship system, the employer has the entire control over the mobility of the migrant worker.

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