NAN-F-27
Workers
Manila, Feb. 12, 2018 (dpa/NAN)Authorities say 377 Filipino workers have so far been repatriated from Kuwait to the Philippines, where the government on Monday formally imposed a total ban on deployment to the Gulf state after reports of abuse.
The 377 Filipinos, mainly women working as domestic helpers, arrived in Manila on three commercial flights paid for by the government, which vowed to help bring back more workers from Kuwait.
Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello signed the order formalising the ban starting from Monday.
Government said the ban was being enforced “in pursuit of national interest, and with the advent of the series of reports involving abuse and death of overseas Filipino workers in Kuwait.”
The Philippines first suspended sending new contract workers to Kuwait on Jan. 19 following the deaths of seven Filipinos there in recent months, including four domestic helpers who allegedly committed suicide.
Duterte had said on Friday that he was prepared to take drastic action to protect overseas Filipino workers after a domestic helper was found dead, stuffed in a freezer in an abandoned apartment in Kuwait.
With the total ban, Bello said he created a task force to handle the repatriation of Filipino workers from Kuwait within 72 hours.
However, he said that those who do not want to leave Kuwait will not be forced to return.
There are an estimated 251,000 Filipinos working and living in Kuwait. (dpa/NAN)
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