Overstaying OFWs in Kuwait urged to avail visa amnesty

Filipino workers in Kuwait who have overstayed their visas are encouraged to avail of the visa amnesty extended by the Kuwaiti government to the Philippines.

Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo, the chairperson of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, appealed on Monday to OFWs in Kuwait with expired visas or absconding cases to take advantage of the initiative, ending on 17 June 2024.

The amnesty program, started last 17 March, allows those with expired visas to either legalize their residency by paying fines or exit Kuwait without penalties.

Salo deemed this bilateral cooperation between Kuwait and the Philippines as a welcome development in addressing the concerns of migrant workers.

"We are actively coordinating with the Department of Migrant Workers and OIC Secretary Hans Cacdac to assist Filipinos availing of this amnesty. Our priority is to ensure their well-being and provide necessary support during this process," the chairman pledged.

Back in 2018, the Kuwaiti government had also granted the Philippines' request to allow undocumented Filipino workers to process documents to legalize their stay in the country.

The initiative also accommodated Filipino workers who wanted to be repatriated.

Salo announced to visit Kuwait after the Ramadan celebration on 23 April to address the concerns of OFWs regarding the deployment ban that the Philippines imposed in February 2023 to first-timer domestic helpers in Kuwait following the murder of Jullebee Ranara in January of the same year.

Ranara was raped, impregnated, burned, run over, and left for dead in a desert in Kuwait by her employer's son.

Ranara's killer was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by a Kuwaiti juvenile court.

On top of the murder conviction, the court also meted another one-year jail term for driving without a license.

According to Salo, his visit to Kuwait would "assess the living conditions of Filipinos, aid in the bilateral discussions between [the two] nations, and provide insights on lifting the ban."