Authentication of Au Pair contracts suspended in Germany —CFO

The Philippine Embassy in Berlin has suspended the authentication of contracts under the Au Pair Visa Program, which allowed Filipinos to enter a European country for cultural immersion.

In a public briefing on Tuesday,  Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Chairperson Secretary Romulo  Arugay said the suspension was due to issues being experienced by current participants of the program.

“Nagkaroon po ng issue  ang mga Au Pair participant doon. May mga concern sila, may mga abuses po na nangyayari (Au Pair participants are encountering issues there. They have concerns, abuses are taking place) ,” said Arugay.

Arugay said the situation is only temporary.

“Inaayos pa nila ang mga dapat ayusin,” he added.

(They are still fixing what needs to be fixed.)

The program had also been suspended in Norway.

Meanwhile, Denmark and the Netherlands continued to issue Au Pair visas.

The Au Pair Visa Program is a cultural exchange initiative between European countries and Filipinos that immerses participants in a target country by having them live with a host family.

“Sila po ay nagkakaroon ng  immersion program and familiarization in the country, and nagiistay po  [sa] host country kung saan nagshe-share po siya ng mga household chores  doon and other agreement nila. Hindi po ito mga [domestic helpers],  hindi po ito mga workers. It’s more of an immersion in the culture of  Europe, kaya ito ay programa kung saan ang host country has the right to stop or continue the program,” said Arugay.

(They have an immersion and familiarization program in the country,  and they stay in the host country where they share household chores and other things agreed on. They are not [domestic helpers], they are not workers. It’s more of an immersion in the culture of Europe, so this is a program where the host country has the right to stop or continue the  program) — DVM/KBK, GMA Integrated News