MANILA: The Philippine government said on Wednesday it was in talks with Kuwait to seek a resolution over recent labor and travel issues, after the Gulf state suspended the issuance of new visas for Filipinos.
The Philippines has been working on tackling issues concerning its migrant workers in Kuwait, sparked by the gruesome murder of domestic worker Jullebee Ranara that prompted Manila to suspend the deployment of first-time workers to the Arab nation in February.
A Philippine delegation is in Kuwait this week to discuss bilateral labor concerns and seek clarification over Kuwait’s visa suspension that was announced last week.
“Talks are resuming today,” the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs’ Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Eduardo De Vega told Arab News.
“What we’re bringing on the table is a reassurance that we want to resolve pending issues for the benefit of our workers and the mutual benefit of both countries.”
The Philippines wants to hear the Kuwaiti side while also explaining its stance on the ongoing issues, “so that we could lift the suspension” on first-time worker deployment to Kuwait, De Vega said.
“We want to settle these differences and we don’t want this as a permanent thing,” he added.
“We expect not a resolution this week, but that there are some positive signs that we could continue talking in the future until we are able to bridge the gap or resolve what they need and resolve what we need from them, like improvement of the conditions of our workers.”
There were more than 24,000 cases of violation and abuse of Filipino workers in Kuwait last year, according to Department of Migrant Workers data, a significant jump from 6,500 cases in 2016.
Ranara’s murder, with her charred remains discovered on a desert in Kuwait in late January, was not the first such incident involving Filipinos in the country.
In 2018, the Philippines imposed a worker deployment ban to Kuwait after the killing of domestic helper Joanna Daniela Demafelis, whose body was found in a freezer at an abandoned apartment. The ban was partially lifted the same year after both countries signed a protection agreement for workers.
The Philippines again imposed a worker deployment ban in January 2020, following the killing of Constancia Lago Dayag and Jeanelyn Villavende, who was tortured to death by her employer. That ban was lifted after Kuwaiti authorities charged Villavende’s employer with murder and sentenced her to hanging.
The latest Philippine ban was imposed “because somebody was killed,” De Vega said.
“There is a national integrity at stake ... that’s why we did it.”
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Philippines in talks with Kuwait over visa suspension for Filipinos
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Philippines in talks with Kuwait over visa suspension for Filipinos
- Kuwait suspended issuance of visas for Filipinos last week
- Filipino officials visiting Kuwait to resolve issues
European military mission set to begin in Greenland
NUUK: European military personnel were due to begin arriving in Greenland on Thursday, shortly after a meeting between American, Danish and Greenlandic officials in Washington failed to resolve “fundamental disagreement” over the mineral-rich, strategic Arctic island.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to take control of the autonomous Danish territory, arguing that it is vital for US security.
France, Sweden, Germany and Norway announced Wednesday that they would deploy military personnel as part of a reconnaissance mission to Greenland’s capital Nuuk.
“Soldiers of NATO are expected to be more present in Greenland from today and in the coming days. It is expected that there will be more military flights and ships,” Greenland’s deputy prime minister Mute Egede told a news conference on Wednesday, adding they would be “training.”
“The first French military personnel are already on their way. Others will follow,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on X.
The deployment of a 13-strong Bundeswehr reconnaissance team to Nuuk from Thursday was at Denmark’s invitation, the German defense ministry said, adding it would run from Thursday to Sunday.
The deployment was announced on the same day that the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, speaking after leaving the White House, said a US takeover of Greenland was “absolutely not necessary.”
“We didn’t manage to change the American position. It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” Lokke told reporters.
“We therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree.”
Trump, speaking after the meeting which he did not attend, for the first time sounded conciliatory on Greenland, acknowledging Denmark’s interests even if he again said he was not ruling out any options.
“I have a very good relationship with Denmark, and we’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out,” Trump said without explaining further.
He again said Denmark was powerless if Russia or China wanted to occupy Greenland, but added: “There’s everything we can do.”
Trump has appeared emboldened on Greenland after ordering a deadly January 3 attack in Venezuela that removed president Nicolas Maduro.
On the streets of Nuuk, red and white Greenlandic flags flew in shop windows, on apartment balconies, and on cars and buses, in a show of national unity this week.
Some residents described anxiety from finding themselves at the center of the geopolitical spotlight.
“It’s very frightening because it’s such a big thing,” said Vera Stidsen, 51, a teacher in Nuuk.
“I hope that in the future we can continue to live as we have until now: in peace and without being disturbed,” Stidsen told AFP.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to take control of the autonomous Danish territory, arguing that it is vital for US security.
France, Sweden, Germany and Norway announced Wednesday that they would deploy military personnel as part of a reconnaissance mission to Greenland’s capital Nuuk.
“Soldiers of NATO are expected to be more present in Greenland from today and in the coming days. It is expected that there will be more military flights and ships,” Greenland’s deputy prime minister Mute Egede told a news conference on Wednesday, adding they would be “training.”
“The first French military personnel are already on their way. Others will follow,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on X.
The deployment of a 13-strong Bundeswehr reconnaissance team to Nuuk from Thursday was at Denmark’s invitation, the German defense ministry said, adding it would run from Thursday to Sunday.
The deployment was announced on the same day that the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, speaking after leaving the White House, said a US takeover of Greenland was “absolutely not necessary.”
“We didn’t manage to change the American position. It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” Lokke told reporters.
“We therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree.”
Trump, speaking after the meeting which he did not attend, for the first time sounded conciliatory on Greenland, acknowledging Denmark’s interests even if he again said he was not ruling out any options.
“I have a very good relationship with Denmark, and we’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out,” Trump said without explaining further.
He again said Denmark was powerless if Russia or China wanted to occupy Greenland, but added: “There’s everything we can do.”
Trump has appeared emboldened on Greenland after ordering a deadly January 3 attack in Venezuela that removed president Nicolas Maduro.
On the streets of Nuuk, red and white Greenlandic flags flew in shop windows, on apartment balconies, and on cars and buses, in a show of national unity this week.
Some residents described anxiety from finding themselves at the center of the geopolitical spotlight.
“It’s very frightening because it’s such a big thing,” said Vera Stidsen, 51, a teacher in Nuuk.
“I hope that in the future we can continue to live as we have until now: in peace and without being disturbed,” Stidsen told AFP.
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