ON THE heels of the decision of the Kuwaiti government to suspend the issuance of new entry visas for Filipinos, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday, May 12, 2023, vowed to use "labor diplomacy" in resolving the issues between the host government and the Philippines.
In a statement, the DMW said it will not veer away from the "labor diplomacy" strategy in its attempt to have the suspension lifted by Kuwait.
"We shall continue to pursue the track of labor diplomacy in ensuring the welfare and safety of our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), while we await more details as to the rationale and issues surrounding the action of the Kuwait government," said the DMW.
"We are working closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait (PE-Kuwait) in a unified, whole-of-government approach to the situation," it furthered.
The Kuwaiti government suspended the issuance of entry and work visas to Filipinos effective May 10.
This means that OFWs are not allowed to enter and reenter Kuwait while the suspension is in effect.
The DMW said it is already coordinating with Philippine recruitment agencies, Filipino communities and leaders, and other stakeholders on how to address the predicament.
It added that affected OFWs may contact the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) hotlines at 09567821309 and 09603532532 or email nrco@dmw.gov.ph to avail of assistance.
"The DMW stands ready to assist our OFWs affected by this action of the Kuwait government," it said.
"We assure everyone that the DMW will work with all of its partners to mitigate the impact of this recent development to our Kuwait-bound workers," added DMW.
According to the local recruitment industry, the decision of Kuwait may adversely affect at least 3,000 to as much as 15,000 Kuwait-bound OFWs, depending on the length of the suspension.
Records also show that there are around 290,000 OFWs based in Kuwait. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)