Filipino domestic workers return to Kuwait after a year-and-a-half hiatus

Dubai: After a hiatus of nearly a year-and-a-half, Kuwait is set to welcome a group of Filipino domestic workers this Saturday.

According to Bassam Al Shammari, an activist in the domestic workers' sector, the first batch of 27 workers is part of a larger contingent of 210 Filipino workers expected to arrive in the coming months."

Al Shammari highlighted that additional batches would follow after their official documentation is finalised. He also noted that Kuwait remains the most cost-effective Gulf country for recruiting domestic workers.

However, he pointed out that the "white list and black list" policy enforced by the Philippines has protracted the paperwork process, extending the wait time for arrivals.

Meanwhile, Munir Al Asimi, the owner of a domestic workers' office, expressed the pressing need for domestic workers in Kuwait. "The market is in urgent need of thousands of domestic workers," Al Asimi stated, emphasising the particular demand for Filipino, as well as Indonesian and Nepalese labourers. He also said that while discussions have been ongoing, agreements with Ethiopia have not yet been finalised.