The Philippine government says it is optimistic that the number of abuse cases involving Filipino domestic workers in the United Arab Emirates will decrease as new laws are implemented.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the UAE government had implemented laws and other measures to ensure the safety and protection of foreign domestic workers in the country, the Philippine Canadian Inquirer reported.
Last June, the UAE government implemented a law on domestic workers that regulates their work conditions and protects them from sexual harassment and forced labor. The law also allows them to keep their passports and travel documents.
In September, the Philippine and UAE governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Labour Cooperation, which ensures that only employment agencies that are registered with the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization will be authorized to offer employment applications.
The Philippine Embassy in the UAE said that with the current laws and agreements implemented, Manila was optimistic that cases of abuse, maltreatment, detention and other complaints will decrease.