THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said it will be negotiating with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to include Filipino household service workers (HSWs) in its abolition of the kafala system.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Y. Ariola disclosed they were supposed to hold initial talks last month, but had to reset after the Saudi government imposed a lockdown due to the presence of the more infectious strain of Covid-19, B117.
“We are planning to go to Saudi Arabia within the first quarter to lobby the inclusion of household service workers [from those exempted from kafala],” Ariola said during an interview with PTV on Wednesday.
She said the KSA is scheduled to start abolishing its kafala system on March 14, 2021, for some sectors, excluding HSWs.
The kafala or sponsorship system is a scheme practiced in many Middle East countries, where migrants are required to get the authorization of Saudi employers to be employed in the KSA.
Many labor advocate groups called the scheme a form of “modern-day slavery,” since it leaves migrant workers, particularly HSWs, vulnerable to abuses from their employers.
Aside from the KSA, Ariola said several other Middle East countries such as Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have started initiatives to abolish their kafala system.
She welcomed these efforts, which she said will benefit the 2.6 million Filipinos in the Middle East.