Early evacuation plan for Pinoys in Kuwait urged

A migrant workers group yesterday called on the government to prepare an early evacuation plan for some 50,000 Filipino workers in Kuwait, fearing that simmering political tensions there could escalate into a full-blown conflict.

John Leonard Monterona, Middle East Coordinator of Filipino overseas labor group Migrante, said it is “prudent” on the part of the government through its embassy in Kuwait to arrange a contingency plan to avoid thousands of Filipinos being trapped should there be an outbreak of hostilities.

“We are not simply ringing the bell for alarm. We would like the concerned government agencies to ready its plan in case the political turmoil in Kuwait escalates,” Monterona said.

Lack of government preparation in evacuating Filipinos from strife-torn Libya early this year had sent

Philippine officials scrambling for funds to finance the charter fee for vessels and land and air transportation needed to move out thousands of Filipino workers to safety.

An estimated 3,000 protesters, mostly from the ranks of disgruntled Kuwaiti youth, earlier staged a big demonstration calling for the removal of Kuwait’s Prime minister.

Political demonstrations in monarch-ruled Kuwait is the latest among the wave of Arab unrests gripping the Middle East and North Africa as protesters call for government reforms and leadership change.

“What is developing now in the Kuwait political scene could be viewed as a new addition to the ‘Arab Spring.’ If not handled with care by local political players, we can only expect this to escalate in the coming days,” Monterona said.

Almost half of the 50,000 Filipinos in Kuwait are female domestic helpers while the rest work in the construction and services sectors.

As it is in Syria and Yemen, where political tensions continue, Philippine embassies are having a hard time securing exit visas for Filipino workers.

Monterona said there is a need to ask permission from their employer in order to obtain the visa, which they need and would take some time to process if they are to leave the said countries.

“A wait-and-see stance is a big no. It has no place in securing the safety and the lives of our workers abroad,” Monterona said. –Michaela P. del Callar, Daily Tribune