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Kuwait vows to look into 'kafala' system - envoy

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ABS-CBN News

Kuwait has promised to look into the &quot;kafala&quot; system, a sponsorship scheme often blamed for the exploitation of overseas Filipino workers, Manila&#x27;s special envoy to the Gulf state, Abdullah Mama-o, said Wednesday. Commonly practiced in Arab countries, the kafala system requires migrant workers to have a sponsor in the host country so that a visa and worker&#x27;s permit can be issued. This means that foreigners&#x27; right to work is dependent on their employers, making them vulnerable to abuse. In a Senate inquiry into the plight of OFWs, Mama-o said he met recently with Kuwaiti leaders and that, &quot;We have the assurance that their government will be looking into it (kafala).&quot; <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/21/18/kafala-system-for-middle-east-ofws-must-stop-official">&#x27;Kafala&#x27; system for Middle East OFWs must stop: official</a></li></ul>The Philippines and Kuwait earlier this month signed a <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/11/18/philippines-kuwait-ink-deal-on-ofw-protection">landmark deal</a> that prohibits common practices under the kafala, including the confiscation of OFW passports by employers. The accord also requires 12-hour rest time for workers, provides for a template employment contract, and assures the creation of a 24/7 hotline where Filipino workers may report abuses and a special police unit to respond to such complaints. There is no need to sign a similar deal with the neighboring Arab countries of Bahrain and Qatar because both have abolished the kafala system, said Mama-o. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III meanwhile told senators that authorities are revisiting all bilateral agreements with other countries to ensure the protection of OFWs. There are some 2 million Filipinos working in the Middle East, whose remittances are a lifeline to the Philippine economy, according to government data. <div>ABS-CBN News, 23 May 2018 </div>

Kuwait has promised to look into the "kafala" system, a sponsorship scheme often blamed for the exploitation of overseas Filipino workers, Manila's special envoy to the Gulf state, Abdullah Mama-o, said Wednesday.

Kuwait has promised to look into the "kafala" system, a sponsorship scheme often blamed for the exploitation of overseas Filipino workers, Manila's special envoy to the Gulf state, Abdullah Mama-o, said Wednesday.