Dubai: Around 700 Filipino nationals have been deported from Kuwait in three months, averaging about seven deportations per day. The deportations were either self-funded or covered by the Filipino embassy, with sponsors not being burdened with the cost of airline tickets.
Security sources report a significant decrease in the number of Filipino workers attempting to flee, especially following the closure of their embassy shelter in Kuwait. The shelter previously served as a refuge for workers who violated local laws.
The deportation process was initiated after 500 Filipino workers seeking refuge at the embassy's shelter were arrested. These individuals were sent back to their home country through the General Department of Deportation.
An additional 130 individuals were held in a government shelter centre due to various travel restrictions, often linked to pending court complaints like theft or ongoing financial cases.
According to reports, the Ministry of Interior enacted this measure to prevent undue financial burden on sponsors. Many workers absconded before fulfilling their employment contracts, leaving sponsors to bear the cost of their tickets, which could range between 250 and 350 dinars. Under the new measure, the cost of travel is borne by the workers themselves or recovered by the embassy, thereby preventing violators from being released from deportation prison.
