Headline
Duterte not blaming Arab nations over unjust Kafala scheme
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is not blaming the Gulf countries over irregularities in the implementation of Kafala system which monitors and restricts the movement of migrant workers, Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Robert Borje said on Friday.
Borje issued the clarification three days after Duterte called for the complete abolition of the controversial Kafala scheme.
“The President has identified this not because he wanted to say na mali kayo (they are wrong). He’s also saying na may ginagawa na tama (they are also doing the right thing) and he recognized that. But of course, a lot of things still need to be done and that can only happen if we work together,” he said in a virtual presser.
Duterte, Borje said, made the call to ensure that Filipino migrant workers are protected against all forms of abuse and exploitation.
“Our responsibility is to make sure that our Filipino workers overseas are protected and their rights are upheld and their dignity and their welfare are protected as well,” he said.
Borje expressed optimism that there is a “higher” chance that the Kafala system would be completely abolished.
He, however, acknowledged that the Kafala scheme’s complete abolition would not happen “very fast.”
“It’s not fair to say that if you think that nothing is going to happen, you’re not going to say anything anymore. Again, this is a principled position of the President,” Borje said. “Can it happen? Of course, it can happen but it may take a while.”
On Tuesday, Duterte sought the complete abolition of “unjust” and “exploitative” Kafala in order to end inequities and suffering of migrant laborers.
Borje on Thursday said Duterte is “quietly” working with state leaders in the Middle East for the scrapping of the Kafala system.
Kafala originated from the Arabic word which means “sponsorship.”
The Kafala Scheme is a mechanism in the Arab states used to monitor migrant laborers, usually unskilled workers through a sponsor, including household service workers, construction workers, and service industry workers.
Under the system, the sponsor is usually the employer who is responsible for the immigration status and visa of the migrant worker. Workers are not allowed to leave sans employers’ consent, making them vulnerable to abuse.