Filipino workers heading to Qatar should not be charged placement fees, according to Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac.
In a press briefing, Cacdac announced that both the Philippine and Qatari governments have agreed to waive these fees, even as Qatar continues to seek more foreign workers.
“Recruitment agencies cannot charge or collect fees for their services, especially from job applicants. This is prohibited on both sides—whether from the applicant’s side or the Qatari side—if the purpose is to pay the agency for its services or profit. That is forbidden because the principle is employer-based, meaning the fees should be charged to the employer who will benefit from the services of the OFW,” said Cacdac.
He warned that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will take action against recruiters who collect placement fees from workers bound for Qatar.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Chief Arnell Ignacio also urged aspiring workers to avoid agencies that promise to expedite paperwork through placement fees disguised as “processing fees.”
“Most of the time, those who collect fees claim it will speed up the process, so don’t believe those you talk to. We do not collect fees, especially at OWWA. Sometimes there are scams where people ask for money to expedite repatriation, but we never ask for money,” Ignacio emphasized.
The DMW also issued Advisory No. 24 last week, informing the public that Qatar law prohibits licensed recruitment agencies from collecting payment for recruitment fees, expenses, or other associated costs from workers coming from abroad.
“The Department of Migrant Workers informs the public that the State of Qatar is considered a non-placement fee labor-receiving country,” Cacdac stated in the advisory issued on Aug. 31.
According to data from the Qatar Visa Center in 2023, around 250,000 Filipinos are currently working in the Arab country.
