Duterte urges abolition of ‘unjust, exploitative’ kafala system

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday called for the abolition of the kafala system - a scheme that allows employers in Middle Eastern countries to control the employment and migration status of foreign workers they employ.

The President made the appeal during the Virtual Forum on Labor Mobility and Human Rights organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“The Philippines recognizes the sovereign right of each state to adopt its own migration policy. But there are universal liberties and moral standards we must adhere to at all times. We can’t justify the denial of basic human rights and the fundamental freedoms of every individual,” the President said.

“That is why the Philippine government strongly calls for a complete abolition of the kafala system sooner rather than later. The kafala system is unjust, exploitative and places thousands of migrant workers—particularly in-household workers—in the most vulnerable situation, unseen, unheard, and unable to defend their dignity.”

Duterte added that given that migration contributes to growth and development in both origin and destination countries, migration policies must work for all stakeholders.

“The Filipino is not a slave to anyone anywhere," he declared.

The Chief Executive cited that painful stories of abuse of foreign workers which included inhumane working conditions, non-payment of wages, restriction of movements to denial of healthcare, sexual exploitation, and murder have no place in migration policies.

“This has got to stop. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed migrant workers, especially those under the kafala system, to an even more precarious position.”

“As the world went into lockdowns, many were driven into destitution with no job, no social safety nets, and no money to send back home. We must address the structural inequalities and push migrant workers to the grim reality,” he added.

President Duterte, however, welcomed the reforms to the kafala system initiated by Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain.

“This [move] will significantly improve the working conditions of migrant workers in the Kingdom including the 800,000 Filipinos. Certainly, the Philippine government assumes its part of the responsibility in ensuring that our people are safe and live with dignity wherever they may be,” the President said.

“We [will] continue to bravely speak against the ills of the kafala system [and] we will be relentless in our efforts to dismantle this unjust structure. This is the right thing to do. This is what it’s expected of us and this is the only way to move forward.” — DVM, GMA News