No job opening for Pinoy DHs in Egypt - says DFA
The foreign affairs department on Tuesday warned Filipinos seeking work abroad that there are no legal jobs available for domestic helpers in Egypt.
In a press statement, DFA said the Egyptian government issues working permits and visas only to foreign domestic helpers employed by foreign diplomats accredited to Egypt.
The Philippine embassy in Cairo said because of this, Filipinos who seek jobs in Egypt as domestic helpers are in danger of arrest by the Egyptian immigration authorities if they don’t have valid visas and working permits.
It added Filipino domestic service workers in Egypt who have no pertinent documents do not enjoy labor protection, hence, are vulnerable to abuse and maltreatment.
The embassy said among the modes being used by Filipino domestic helpers to enter Egypt were:
-Recruitment as domestic workers purportedly for a neighboring country like Jordan, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, but later brought to Egypt by their sponsors for delivery to their real employers.
The third-country approach is commonly used because Egyptian immigration laws allow foreign employers to bring with them their foreign domestic helpers when they vacation in Egypt.
-Recruitment as skilled workers such as factory workers, nurses, hotel service staff under a scheme that allows highly-skilled foreigners to work in Egypt. The scheme is abused by some employers who hoodwink Filipinos to come to Egypt as skilled workers only to make them work as domestic helpers.
-Entry into Egypt as tourists and work as domestic helpers. Eventually, they overstay and are locked up in the homes of their employers to avoid trouble due to their illegal immigration status.
The Embassy also reported when the OFWs demand payment for their salaries or to be repatriated, they are abandoned at the Philippine Embassy.
It further said overworked, unpaid and maltreated OFWs are accused of theft by their employers to avoid paying their wages and/or plane fares back to the Philippines.
The Philippine embassy in Cairo appealed to Filipinos to be wary of recruiters and recruitment agencies offering jobs as domestic helpers in Egypt and to report such agencies immediately to Department of Labor Employment and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
Reference: www.gmanews.tv
