ShareFilipino domestic workers are very popular in Kuwait. Therefore, any official statement regarding preventing these workers from coming to Kuwait is important news for the local community. It should force officials to take into account the reasons behind such a decision.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has banned workers from coming to Kuwait, claiming there were some cases of sexual abuse and suicide, adding that he had discussed the issue with his foreign minister and wants to raise it with the Kuwaiti government. "My advice is we talk to them, state the truth and just tell them that it's not acceptable anymore. Either we impose a total ban or we have a correction," he said.
I personally found the statement worthwhile. The president is the head of the state and he is defending the rights of his citizens, and this is a good thing. In fact, this is the normal duty of every president to ensure the safe living conditions of his citizens abroad. There are about 250,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, according to the Philippine foreign ministry. Filipinos in Kuwait constitute the third largest community in Kuwait, after Indians and Egyptians.
The Philippine labor minister said on Friday that his country has suspended sending workers to Kuwait in anticipation of an investigation into the causes of the death of some six or seven Filipino workers. The statement, of course, caused concern for the Kuwaiti side. Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah expressed regret and surprise at the statement by the Philippine president on the status of his country's workers in Kuwait. "We immediately contacted the Philippine authorities to find out the truth and to refute the false information," he said.
My personal opinion as a Kuwaiti citizen is that I see that the number of maids in Kuwait, whether from the Philippines or other countries, as too large. I consider it excessive, especially among wealthy families. The condition of the maids needs a general review to ensure strict enforcement of laws. We need to understand and accept that there is a culture issue here and that what is granted or denied in the Philippines may or not be acceptable here. The sponsor must fully agree to respect the worker's rights. Most of the problems are due to differences in cultures, failure to receive salaries and violence, whether verbal or physical.
I know very well that the Philippine Embassy is making a great effort to protect its citizens from abuse in cooperation with the Kuwaiti government. Naturally, with the large numbers of workers, problems may arise that may be isolated, but could spark anger on the Philippine street and spark demands to withdraw Filipino workers from Kuwait.
I know that human rights reports, whether by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch or the US State Department often contain embarrassing information about the conditions of domestic workers in Gulf countries. These reports morally pressure these governments to adjust their employment conditions, but also force many countries to legislate new laws to protect the rights of workers.
I remember in 2006 there was a good project under the name of 'Falcon'. It was a guide to the most important information needed by workers in Kuwait and was printed in nine languages under the patronage of embassies such as those of the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, especially since these countries are major sources of expatriate labor. These initiatives are important in informing domestic helpers of their rights and how to deal with abusive situations such as violence from others.
I think the problem of domestic labor in Kuwait does not need more laws, but tightening of control and accountability for any negligence in the conditions of domestic workers. It is not a matter of ignoring the matter and considering it to be an individual case. Rather, it is necessary to identify the causes of the problem and prevent future cases from happening. I expect that the suspension from the Philippines will be temporary to clear the situation, as this is the right of the state and should not be taken with surprise or sensitively.
By Muna Al-Fuzai
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