The first batch of stranded Filipino domestic helpers were repatriated to the Philippines this week after spending several months in cramped government shelters in Kuwait, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Wednesday.
Most of these Filipinos, who have ran away from their abusive employers, were stranded for more than a year and can not go back to the Philippines due to lack of exit visas from the Kuwaiti government. The repatriation cost will be shouldered by Kuwaiti authorities.
Kuwait Towers in Kuwait City. Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maistora/
The DFA said 200 more are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
The DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA) said the first batch of household service workers, totaling 67, arrived on June 6 and 7.
A team from OUMWA, led by Officer in Charge Enrico Fos and representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration ( OWWA) welcomed and assisted the Filipino workers upon their arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Fos said the repatriation for the remaining two batches, consisting of 78 and 129 household service workers, is being finalized.
“The mass repatriation is made possible through the cooperation between the DFA and the Department of Labor and Employment, as well as the collaborative efforts of the Philippine Embassy and OWWA with the Kuwait Ministry of Labor,” Fos said.
Source: People’s Daily Online
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