Noli: Only few availing of amnesty in Kuwait

MANILA, Philippines - Only 115 of the estimated 20,000 undocumented Filipinos in Kuwait have availed of the amnesty being offered by the Kuwaiti government since September 1, Vice President Noli De Castro bared Monday.

De Castro said the amnesty decreed by Kuwaiti Emir Sheik Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is a big opportunity which undocumented OFWs and the government should take advantage of.

"If they let go of this opportunity, they cannot leave Kuwait anymore without getting penalized and fined," said De Castro, who is also the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

De Castro said the offer is good only until October 15.

He assured that the government would “exhaust all means" to shoulder the cost of transportation for those who decide to avail of the amnesty.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has already disbursed the repatriation cost of 46 undocumented OFWs who have availed of the reprieve.

The first 25 beneficiaries of the amnesty are scheduled to arrive in Manila on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, De Castro has called for an intensified information campaign regarding the amnesty since many Filipino illegals are still not aware of it based on the low turnout of applicants.

“The relatives of the OFWs concerned should inform their kin of this ongoing program since they are the ones that have direct contact with them in Kuwait," he said.

Kuwait is the second-biggest destination country of Filipino domestic helpers, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA). Filipino workers there are also one of the top senders of dollar remittances to the country. - GMANews.TV

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