POLO And Philippine Embassy Laud Kuwait's Human Rights Commitment

KUWAIT CITY, April 28

The Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) together with the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait was able to repatriate 601 distressed Household Service Workers (HSWs) notwithstanding difficulties for the period of Jan 1 to April 23, 2013 from the POLO's Filipino Workers Resource Centre (FWRC)," disclosed on Sunday Philippine Labour Attache David Des Dicang to the Arab Times. The 601 repatriated HSWs sought temporary shelter at the FWRC after escaping from their employers due to various forms of maltreatment such as verbal, physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of salaries and overwork. 

"We hope to repatriate 150 more in the coming weeks with the help of the Office of Domestic Workers Affairs (ODWA) and the Kuwait Immigration authorities, in line with ongoing mutual cooperation between the POLO-Philippine Embassy and the Kuwait government," added Philippine Charge d' Affaires Atty Raul H Dado as he and Dicang outlined the recent developments on the steps being taken jointly by the POLO and the embassy in addressing the problem of stranded HSWs at the FWRC. 

Dado informed that after his meeting with the Chief of the Office Domestic Workers Affairs General Abdullah Al-Ali during the recent Human Rights Symposium in Kuwait and with the joint efforts by the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuwait, 150 stranded HSWs without cases will be allowed to go home. 

"As a result of their kindness to our situation, the bureaucratic steps have been simplified. Gen Abdullah Al-Ali assured that his office will help in easing the process of repatriation and we would like to thank him and the Kuwaiti government for their kindness," stated Dado as he lauded Kuwait's commitment to upholding human rights.

Meanwhile, Dicang informed that of the 601,272 were repatriated on normal flights after their passports were retrieved thru their Kuwait agencies while 174 were repatriated thru the police authorities and 65 thru the Immigration Department.

Currently, there are 195 distressed female HSWs who are under the care of POLO and the embassy. "One hundred sixty-one of them are housed at the POLO shelter and 34 are accommodated at the Kuwait Social Welfare Agency," informed Dicang. He added that of the 195,31 are assistance-to-nationals (ATN) cases (e.g. theft, physical abuse and sexual abuse cases), 17 with absconding /travel ban cases, eight have already their passports, return tickets and are ready for repatriation this week while 139 are 'without' case and have been stranded for the past three to six months.

Dicang disclosed that an average of six to seven HSWs run away from their employers and seek refuge at the FWRC daily during weekdays and an average of 12 to 14 HSWs seek shelter during Fridays and Saturdays. "We hope to continue with the repatriation of distressed HSWs who are still at the shelter with the help of the Office of the Domestic Workers Affairs and the Kuwait Immigration Department," he stated.

In view of the recent development on the resumption of the fingerprinting process of stranded HSWs, Dicang told the Arab Times that they have just received a word from the Office of General Adnan of the Fingerprint Division, Criminal Evidence Department at the Kuwait Ministry of Interior that the 150 stranded OFWs 'without' cases will be split in three batches for their fingerprinting on May 9, 16 and 23. "It usually takes four to five days after fingerprinting to complete the documentation process to repatriate a runway HSW, thus with this development, we hope to reduce the number of stranded HSWs after the month of May to less than 50," explained Dicang.

Aside from the mutual cooperation between the POLO-Embassy and the Kuwait government, Dicang also attributed the positive developments on the repatriation of stranded HSWs to the concerted efforts and synergy between the POLO and the embassy under the leadership of Dado. 

The Filipino community welcomes this new development on the stronger working ties between the POLO and the embassy in the promotion of the rights and welfare of the OFWs. "We have really seen a big difference in the embassy and there have been a lot of improvement and reforms upon the assumption of Consul General Raul Dado as the new Charge d' Affaires. We just hope that the good relations of POLO and the embassy will continue for the good of all Filipinos in Kuwait," shared Violeta Malana Yousef, the President of the Kuwait Filipino Mothers Organisation.

© Arab Times 2013