The “kafala” sponsorship system which has been “exploiting and oppressing” overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East for many years should be abolished, President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday.
In his virtual speech during the 76th United Nations General Assembly, Duterte said the labor system, which requires OFWs to have a sponsor in the host country, is “unjust.”
RELATED STORY: Duterte warns Arab countries: ‘Dismantle kafala or lose Filipino workers’
“We call for the abolition of all structures that allow exploitation and oppression of migrant workers. The kafala system is one such behemoth that chains the weak, the desperate and the most helpless to an existence of unimaginable suffering,” Duterte said.
“Nothing can justify the continued existence of this unjust system. While reforms have been made, the kafala system must be dismantled sooner or later in the name of justice and basic decency,” he added.
Human rights groups have previously said that workers under the kafala system are prone to abuse since the sponsor are in control of the workers’ employment and immigration status.
READ ON: Saudi Arabia abolishes kafala system
In March this year, Saudi Arabia abolished the ‘kafala’ sponsorship system, giving foreign workers the freedom to enter and exit the country even without the approval of their employer.
The Saudi government lifted the system in order to attract more highly skilled workers who were hesitant to work in the country due to the kafala system. (TDT)
