Kuwait said it would lift a visa ban on domestic workers from the Philippines after a year-long suspension sparked by a row over the rights of employers and employees.
An interior ministry statement carried by the official KUNA news agency said the oil-rich Gulf state and Manila had reached an “agreement to resume the recruitment of domestic workers” after a “breakthrough” in talks.
“The countries agreed to form a joint committee pertinent to domestic labour affairs,” the statement said. “This would convene in a routine manner to address any sticking points that could potentially emerge.”
Kuwait suspended all new visas for Philippine nationals in May last year after relations soured over the murder of domestic worker Jullebee Ranara.
Her charred body was found in the Kuwaiti desert in January 2023, prompting Manila to stop sending first-time workers to Kuwait.
It sparked the latest in a series of spats between the Philippines and Kuwait, which is home to a sizable domestic worker population. — AFP
