Doha, Qatar: In a televised press briefing and news release on Wednesday, June 26, the Secretary of Philippines' Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Hans Leo Cacdac, confirmed the lifting of the visa ban on the deployment of Filipino skilled workers, including domestic workers, in Kuwait.

This is following a statement from Kuwait's Interior Ministry carried by the official KUNA news agency stating that Kuwait and the Philippines had reached an agreement to resume the recruitment of workers after a "breakthrough" in talks.

Cacdac said that Kuwait would ease restrictions on the issuance of entry and work visas to Filipinos which have been in effect since May last year.

He added that this is the result of the June 23 meeting in Kuwait between Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah and DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia, Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Jose Cabrera III, and DMW Labor Attaché Manuel Dimaano.

For the recruitment of domestic workers, he said Kuwaiti authorities agreed to the proposal of the Philippines to limit the deployment to experienced Filipino domestic workers who have previously worked abroad.

In May 2023, Kuwait suspended all new visas for Philippine passport holders after relations soured over the killing of a Filipino domestic worker.

To ensure protection of Filipino househelps, the two sides also agreed to establish a joint technical working committee to periodically meet to address labor-related issues and other concerns.

Cacdac said "the lifting of the deployment ban would reopen opportunities for professional, skilled, and semi-skilled Filipino workers to work in Kuwait."

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