The arrival of new Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait after a more than a year ban has been slowed down due to limited training courses held for them in the Philippines, a Kuwaiti unionist revealed.
Obstacles noted include training, slow passport issuance from the Philippines.
Several Obstacles Noted in Reduced Number of Domestic Workers’ Arrivals in Kuwait
The number of workers attending both of these courses has been limited as a result of the global pandemic, according to Khalid Al Dakhnan, the president of Kuwait’s Union for Domestic Labour. These courses are designed for Filipinos who have never served in the Gulf before, the Gulf News reported.
The other stumbling block to the workers’ arrival was the delayed issuance of labor passports in Manila. He told Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida that the process takes three months. Al Dakhnan said, “There are contacts with the labor union there to find urgent solutions to these matters in order to accelerate the workers’ arrival.”
He expects the first groups of Filipinos to arrive in Kuwait following the Eid Al Fitr holiday.
In line with this, Al Dakhnan encouraged prospective employers of domestic workers to read the employment contract carefully before signing it so that they are aware of their rights and responsibilities. “Once signed, the contract is fully binding,” he said.
“Attempts have been made to resume recruitment [from the Philippines]. As a result, everybody must follow the law in order to ensure the continuation of the lifting of the ban and prevent potential problems,” he added.
After a Filipino domestic worker was sexually assaulted and killed by her boss, the Philippines imposed a ban on sending new domestic workers to Kuwait in January 2020.
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