According to unconfirmed sources there are estimated 11 millions Filipinos working around the globe with highest number of almost 2.8 million in US, around 1.5 million in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in hundreds of other countries. These 11 million makes almost 11% of the total population and contribute around 10 billion dollars every year in Philippines economy which makes 15 % of total GDP. In 2009, the amount of $17.348 billion was sent to the Philippines by Overseas Filipinos, highest among prior years in which Saudi OFW(s) contributed 1.4 billion dollars. But why Saudi Arabia!?

Saudi Arabia is oil based economy possessing 25% of the world’s proven petroleum reserves with GDP of $592.886 billion as of 2009 estimate. 7 million labour forces are required to run its machineries and 80% of which are overseas migrant workers. Average wages in Saudi Arabia hover around 75 – 96$ and 6 – 9$ per day depending upon your nationality, skill and professional; which is also tax-free with benefits like housing and medical insurance. Even after last year’s world financial crisis; World Bank declared Saudi Arabia as strongest Arab economy. All these conditions make Saudi Arabia the best choice to work. According to Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA); Saudi Arabia welcomed 123, 048 Filipino migrant workers in 2009 among which 48,109 are female; it is highest number of migration.

These 1.5 million OFW(s) are posted in every city, every field and literally every company inside Saudi Arabia. Working as Head Nurses to helpers in every big hospital like King Faisal Specialist Hospital, King Khalid and National Guard Hospital. Taken over posts from Project Manager till technicians and even tea boys in all the major Telecommunication operators like STC, Mobily and ZAIN. You will find them working in every shopping mall working as shoppers and helpers. You will find them in very home as house; and as managers, chefs and waiters in all Fast food chains of Saudi Arabia. Thus you will find them everywhere.

Filipinos has proven themselves as very big, active and vital community in Saudi Arabia. The Business centre of Riyadh (Batha) has converted into Mini Manila with many shops, malls and restaurants run my Filipinos themselves. The cooperation and operators has to offer special packages to attract this 1.5 million community; as they know they are playing vital role in Saudi Arabia’s economy. They are living as one big family and they work and intermingle with other nationalities very easily. They don’t separate themselves as other Western, European or Chinese community does here.

Despite all the riches and benefits, they do face racism and abuse like all the other nationalities does in every other country. Al Jazeera has shown their problems and miseries in their documentaries like “Working for Nothing” and “Migrant workers”. So I thought why not to directly ask them; how they live, what they do and why they selected Saudi Arabia?

Erick has been working as engineer in telecommunication sector for almost 9 years. Due to boom in telecommunication and power field in Saudi Arabia; electrical engineers are in high demand. According to POEA; 919 electrical engineers migrated to Saudi Arabia in 2009. I thought to ask Erick what he thinks about working in Saudi Arabia and what his take on increasing OFW population.

I: What is the situation of jobs for telecom engineers in Philippines?
Erick: Job market for telecommunication is very good in Philippines. Initially it was totally in control of government operator but after lot of foreign investments, private operator started doing business, which created many jobs.

I: Were you enjoying your job life in Philippines?
Erick: Yes, I was very much enjoying. Esp. when I was about to leave Philippines I was team leader and many engineers were working under me.

I: What made you leave Philippines; is life difficult there?
Erick: Life is not difficult there, it depends how you want to live, depends upon your life style. But nowadays taking care of family is getting difficult because of high prices and taxations.

I: So family finances was main reason to become OFW!
Erick: Yes and No. In these days of high prices it has become very hard to take care of family, daily expenses for good education for my kids. Though I was enjoying my work but not satisfied with salary. One is not able to buy land, property or do investments for future. This made me think of working overseas and I also want to have new experiences.

I: Why you selected Saudi Arabia?
Erick: It was by chance, it was the only option available at that time.

I: What benefits OFW enjoy in Philippines?
Erick: Every government try to give different facilities, benefits to overseas workers. For example, previous government used OFI (overseas Filipino investors) instead of OFW trying to give us opportunities to make large investments. OFW can get loan on easy terms and sometimes government also wave taxes depending upon the investment.

I: How overseas Filipinos are treated by people back home?
Erick: We are treated as “Heroes”. Whenever we arrive in Philippines we are given VIP welcome, whole family is there to receive. Even on airports we have separate immigrations lines and while leaving we don’t even have to pay terminal fees. People organise dinners and you have to give PASALUBONG.

I: PASALUBONG?
Erick: Presents, souvenirs people bring for their loved ones. We have to take care of pasalubong, especially for kids.

I: And what benefits you have in Saudi Arabia?
Erick: Government has representative offices of OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) in every country, even in Saudi Arabia. They help Filipinos in different problems like handling legal matters, court cases or helping the Filipinos who face abusive treatment from their sponsors, unfortunately most of them are house maids. Secondly many Filipinos have made many communities like educational community, religious community even sports communities. We are lucky enough to have helpful and productive communities here.

I: Have you every faced any professional difficulties in Saudi Arabia?
Erick: No, never in profession. I have been lucky enough to work with good institutions.

I: How is daily life in Saudi Arabia?
Erick: Life is simple but very boring if you are single; as there not many activities to do here. Yes, we really admire family life here as you get a lot of time to bond with your wife and kids. Family life is relaxing here.

I: Do you think your life has changed in Philippines because of your overseas employment?
Erick: Yes definitely, no doubt about that. I have been able to buy property, I have been to give good education to my son and Alhumdulillah enjoying and getting everything we wish for.

I: In last, do you recommend others to come to Saudi Arabia?
Erick: Well, NO.

I: And why is that?
Erick: For financial stability and savings, Saudi is very good option; but culturally it is not. Filipinos face cultural difference here and also religious as Saudi Arabia is 100% Muslim country; we Christians have no religious independence here. And secondly I am not satisfied with the education level of school for my son. I want my son to have degree from highly respected schools. Beside school, kids don’t get much chance to enjoy outside life. So Saudi Arabia is good option but not best one.

Sarah has been working as beautician for four years. This profession is in high demand; 314 Filipinas migrated to Saudi Arabia as beauticians. Got a chance to discuss with Sarah how she thinks about her stay in Saudi.

I: Why you selected to become OFW?
Sarah: I decided to work abroad because I believed that this was the easiest way for me to have any investment; not only for my self but also for my family. Because in Philippines the rate of my salary was not sufficient, everything in Philippines is expensive.

I: How is life in Philippines?
Sarah: The life in Philippines is very comfortable because your family is always there for you to help and support, but it gets very hard too in case of finances.

I: Do OFW(s) have any benefits in Philippines?
Sarah: OFW have a lot of benefits in Philippines. Like SSS (Philippine Social Security System) which gives financial support in case of sickness, Maternity, Retirement, Death or funeral or in case of any disability. And Programs like Philhealth which is National Health Insurance Program. So we enjoy many benefits back home.

I: Why you selected Saudi Arabia, any special advantages for OFW(s) here?
Sarah: I choose KSA, because this is the only country that had a ready visa, very easy place to go. I don’t have any benefits or any advantages here from my employer.

I: What do you think about Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)? Is this society active in KSA?
Sarah: OWWA! You can’t really depend on them. It is very difficult for them to come here. You will be very lucky if they can help you.

I: How life is in KSA as family and single?
Sarah: Life in KSA is very different, difficult, sad and boring. If you are a single here, you feel alone, only friends can give you any support.

I: Do you think anything changed back home in Philippines because of your work here?
Sarah: KSA and my work have really helped me. Now I have a little investment in my homeland, Philippines. And I can help my family too, esp. their financial needs.

I: Will you recommend your friends to come and migrate to Saudi Arabia for employment?
Sarah: Well if I have a friend who wanted to work abroad, I will not recommend KSA, much better if they try to work in other country. I am also hoping that one day good opportunity will come for me to go in any other place, not again Saudi Arabia. I can’t fulfil my dreams here. I want freedom and open country.

It was really great meeting both of them and getting to know about there stay in Saudi Arabia. Now I decided why not to talk to someone who is now living and working in Philippines and looking for any opportunity to work abroad. I got a chance to have online interview with James who is working in Sales department in one company for last 3 years in Manila.

I: Why Filipino wants to go overseas?
James: Reasons why most of Filipino wants to work overseas is lack of job opportunities in the Philippines and low rate of salary. They think that working abroad could help them give their family a better living because of high paying jobs.

I: Which countries mostly OFW(s) go to?
James: Countries mostly Filipinos go to are Middle East countries, European countries & America.

I: What benefits do they have in Philippines?
James: There are some benefits & special programs for OFW(s) in Philippines. I won’t mention all of them; but they do enjoy special treatment.

I: Do you see the life style difference of OFW(s) in Philippines?
James: You will see different life style of those Filipino with a OFW relative. They can send their children in a nice school, built their own house etc, if the one received remittances spend the money wisely.

I: Do you think Philippine cannot live without OFW(s)?
James: If there are enough jobs in the Philippines I don’t think Filipinos have to work abroad. But since it’s one of the major problems here, lots of Filipinos will still go and find their luck in other countries.

We can guess from the above interviews that people do enjoy the salary and benefits they receive while working in Saudi Arabia, but their main concern is cultural and religious differences. But whatever opinions may be; Saudi Arabia no doubt is the hottest market for migrant workers due to its stable and growing economy. Not only OFW(s), Saudi Market welcomes foreigners from every part of the world; Pakistanis, Indians, Africans and people from other Arab countries have already taken over Saudi job market and working in every field and every post.

Cross posted from MideastYouth.com

Sophia Furber: How did you first get involved in making films on migrant workers?

Kesang Tseten: I’d traveled through Qatar before, and like many people I was struck by the number of migrant workers I saw. I had initially wanted to make a film about the 12 Nepali workers that were killed in Iraq in 2004, but in the end it was too difficult for me to get there to shoot. I then decided I wanted to make a film on the everyday circumstances of Nepalis going to the Gulf to work. This is also a horror story in its own right, but it’s so normal.

If you talk to people of a certain class in Nepal, like the people working here (we are sitting in a fairly upmarket cafe in Kathmandu having coffee), migration to the Gulf is a hugely important part of their everyday experience. Most of them have friends or family members working in the Gulf, and a lot of them aspire to go there themselves. Migration is part of their language. So for me the story was there already for In Search of the Riyal and Saving Dolma. My aim was to make a film that explained the sociological context.

SF: Was it difficult for you to get access to migrant workers in Kuwait and Qatar? (Many live in labour camps or private homes, which makes it notoriously hard for researchers, journalists and civil society members to come into contact with them)

KT: In Kuwait I couldn’t get a visa to go to shoot (for upcoming project Saving Dolma) so I had to ask other people to go to; there was an American who had worked with me before as an editor, and he went to Kuwait to shoot some footage. Alston D’Silva, an editor who is based in Kathmandu, went to shoot on my behalf in Kuwait as he grew up there, and was able to get some really great footage.

When I was in Qatar shooting In Search of the Riyal we had to shoot without permission using small, hand-held cameras – not secret cameras, though. This meant that all the footage we brought back from Qatar had a very journalistic style. For this reason I went back to Nepal to shoot more footage so that I could give a fuller picture and show the background to the story.

The Nepali communities in both Qatar and Kuwait were really helpful to me and my team. We were effectively embedded in the Nepali community when I went to shoot there. The Nepali community there are very conscious of being migrants, and because of this there are a lot of societies set up by Nepalis so that they can help one another. There are 116 migrant associations in Qatar and the Nepali community really feels that the existence of these groups has really made life better for them. People are so ready to ‘help their own.’ They are also very ready to help researchers.

SF: What was your impression of the labour camps that you visited?

KT: Some of them were not that bad, but others were very crowded, with 15-20 bunks per room. Conditions were not that appalling for people coming from Nepal, and in my experience the labour camps were not what Nepali migrants were complaining about most. People are willing to suffer a lot when they migrate to the Gulf, provided that they get something in return. The problem is when Nepalis feel that they are putting up with a lot of everyday hardship but find that there is no real financial gain (because they are not being paid enough or wages are being withheld).

SF: So what are the things that Nepali migrant workers complained about when they described their experiences in the Gulf?

KT: Money. Nepalis feel that they are not being paid enough to pay off their overheads. The calculation for most people migrating to the Gulf is so tight. Getting a passport, then going from their town or village to Kathmandu to see a manpower agent, taking a loan at up to 60% interest to pay the manpower agency is a hugely expensive process.

To pay that back the money that they have borrowed to get to the Gulf in the first place people need to be earning enough money, and their financial calculation is also based on doing overtime. This means that Nepalis in the Gulf are working so hard that they don’t have any leisure time. Nepalis aren’t used to not having time in this way. They come to the Gulf and for perhaps the first time in their lives they just feel like a small part of a machine. Being fitted like a cog to the modern economic apparatus is extremely difficult for them.

SF: What was the psychological effect of this on migrant workers that you met?

KT: You can definitely see the evidence of psychological problems on migrants. If you are a migrant worker from the developing world, it’s like you’re there but you’re not there, because the economic barrier separates them from participating in wider society. Migrant workers in the Gulf own so little compared to the cost of living over there, but it is in a place where power and money are being rubbed in their faces constantly. Imagine being a migrant worker earning $5 per day and serving rich expats coffee that costs as much as your daily wage. This sends a message to the migrant that they are worth nothing, and they begin to feel bereft.

People come here with a burden, and I felt that this was taking a clear psychological toll on them. To begin with, Nepali migrants are shouldering huge debts and responsibilities to their families. Maybe their families have got their land up as collateral against a loan. There is a really loneliness in this burden for migrant workers.

The other problem is that a lot of Nepalis are separated from their spouses, and this is a huge cause of stress. Fears are constantly preying on them: is my spouse being sensible with the money I send home? Are they being faithful to me? Bear in mind that it costs a huge amount of money for them just to make a short phone call home.

SF: Were the problems that migrant women were facing different from those of men?

KT: In a sense you can’t really compare. But I personally would say that women’s condition is fundamentally worse. Everybody is vulnerable, male or female, but the women migrants are worse off because they generally work as housemaids in private homes. Once you’re behind those doors it’s the luck of the draw what kind of human beings you will get. As hard as it is for men, their position is one of socialized production. They are working in public spaces. But women are in private spaces and are physically vulnerable in a way that the men aren’t.

SF: Did the migrant workers that you met with encounter racism from the locals?

KT: The men hardly ever come into contact with the locals; in their workplaces the foreman is usually an Indian or a Nepali. However, Nepalis I spoke to said that there was a lot of abuse against them by Nepali foremen or managers. In a way it’s like a whole unequal society is being replicated.

SF: Finally, what do you think could be done to improve the situation for Migrant Workers?

KT: There are a number of major problems that need to be looked at. Really, the problems of migrant workers are rooted in an exploitative global economic system. The GDP of the Gulf states is as high as most western countries but they take in labour from low income countries, and then pay disproportionately low wages. In some of the richest oil economies of the world, people are earning as little as US$5 per day.

One issue that needs to be tackled is that of crooked manpower agencies, and there are certainly enough of them to be a problem. In the destination countries, these ’suppliers’ can earn 100 Riyals per day for sourcing a Nepali migrant worker, but the worker only gets maybe 30 Riyals of that.

I think that Nepali migrants need to go to the Gulf with better information. People feel that they can go, and they must go, and it is not for us to tell them not to; but they could at least be better prepared. Migrants with just two months training in say, scaffolding, could earn 25% more than completely unskilled workers. If Nepalis are earning more overseas it will be better for the individual and better for the country, since the Nepali economy is so dependent on remittances.

You can see footage from Kesang’s work-in-progress, Saving Dolma, here here.

This leniency is granted provided on the condition that the worker has been with the sponsor at least three years before transferring residency.  The Minister, Dr, Mohammed AlـIfasi, spoke to reporters of Al Rai at a Kuwait Pearl Diving Ceremony and, as the Al-Watan Daily reports,  also mentioned that the entire Department would also go under a drastic restructuring to facilitate reforms of the sponsorship and cut bureaucracy.

According to The Kuwait Times, Dr. Al-Ifasi was quoted as saying that, “they are being sold for certain sums of money as if we were living in the age of slavery.”

The Arab Times interviewed several leading politicians and academics about their opinions on the overhaul of Kuwait’s current sponsorship scheme.  One of these, Dr Humaid Qanas, exercised caution in implementing proposals without a solid and well-researched understanding of the underlying problems, noting that similiar countries that have abolished the system only did so after many years of conducting studies before implementing policies.

“Stating that Kuwait is fond of putting attractive titles on such a vital issue, but there will be no traces of its functions at the end of the day, Qanas urged the government to assign specialists to study the proposal and put the final touches for its full implementation.

“The issue is similar to many other proposals like the housing, education and healthcare projects, which do not have clear plans or serious inclination for success. We should get it right this time, because the issue has dented Kuwait’s image in the international community,” the academician suggested.”

Q. How did you gain interest in migrant workers and their conditions around the world, specifically Asia?

With the support of a fellowship from the Henry Luce Foundation, I moved to the Philippines in 2006 to work at a migrant worker advocacy organization, Visayan Forum Foundation. At the conclusion of the fellowship I moved to Hong Kong, where I lived for another ten months before returning to the US to start law school. During my time in Hong Kong, I worked with domestic workers in need of help due to underpayment of wages, premature termination of the employment contract, passport confiscation, or excessive placement or training fees. As a law student I continue to be interested in why migrant workers are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation and exploring ways to eradicate that vulnerability. I am not an expert, just someone who has been thinking about this issue for a few years. Optimism and a desire for a better life will continue to drive people to move in search of opportunity. The challenge facing countries is how to manage the inflow of semi-skilled and low skilled labor in such a way as to prevent exploitation, manipulation, and extortion, while also protecting the nation’s national and economic security. Legal solutions are not always the speediest way to solve every problem, but I believe their pursuit is the fairest and best way to give the poor a chance to defend themselves from insecurity and discrimination.

Q. Why do you think it’s so difficult for migrant workers to gain legal assistance all across Asia but particularly in the Middle East? What would you propose to change this?

My experience is primarily with migrant domestic workers; the vulnerability of this particular group of workers results from a combination of factors: 1) lack of formal legal protection 2) migration debt and 3) limited access to information and resources. The most important global challenge facing advocates for domestic workers – both migrant and local – is to create formal recognition that domestic work is real work. Some countries exclude domestic workers from coverage of labor laws, thus making workers dependent on their employers to ensure the most basic of rights. Without legal recognition that domestic workers are employees — minimum wage, vacation days, maximum hours of work per day, privacy, freedom of association, etc. – will remain privileges that an employer may chose to extend or deny at will. Working within the private sphere of the household contributes the vulnerability of domestic workers. Even in situations where a migrant domestic worker knows her rights, financial desperation or migration debt may limit her ability to assert those rights. Fear of job termination may compel a worker into accepting a lower salary than promised, working from dawn until late night, or performing extra work duties rather than risk losing her job and legal status.

Q. How do you think it’s possible to limit abuse or the potential of abuse to domestic helpers? In many instances domestic helpers have been raped, killed, beaten, denied their salaries, and often they have no awareness on where to go to seek help. How can we change this?

This is a human rights and gender rights issue that deserves more attention than it receives. Limited awareness of the numbers of migrant domestic workers in households all over the world (no legal recognition means no accurate labor statistics) means that the plight of this group is hidden from the public eye. We need country-by-country legal reform to allow migrant domestic workers the right to change employers without necessarily forfeiting her visa. Cultural attitudes also need to change so that employers, neighbors and communities do not tolerate maid abuse or look the other way when it happens. I also believe that advocates must look beyond the promises of states to “protect” workers. Trainings, information and pre-departure orientations are important, but giving workers greater access to information will not automatically solve rampant maid abuse. We also need greater oversight over private recruiters who may over-charge workers, stronger criminal penalties for abusive employers, more publically funded shelters for workers in distress, and visa reform to allow employer-changes without forfeiting the right to work in the country. Empowered workers are their own best advocates. To build the opportunity for empowerment, we must try to reform those state policies that exacerbate vulnerability and facilitate fear and silence.

Q. In your blog you wrote about your experiences in Honk Kong working with Helpers for Domestic Helpers, can you briefly summarize what the organization is about and what you did there? How many similar organizations do you know of?

As of May 2008 there were 251,360 foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong. Filipinos make up the majority of this population followed by Indonesians, while the remainder is made up of Thais, Sri Lankans, Indians and Nepalese. Helpers for Domestic Helpers was founded in the 1980’s by a British barrister who saw the need for an organization that could provide free legal support for domestic workers. As the need grew and clients increased through word of mouth, St. John’s Cathedral in Hong Kong provided an office for the group to provide the services. The management of HDH was strengthened in 2001 with the creation of the Board of Management. The Board oversees and provides direction to the activities and programs of HDH, greatly enhancing its services. Today, with one full time manager, a part-time assistant and a team of volunteers, HDH continues to assist distressed domestic workers. The website is http://helpersfordomestichelpers.com/ As a volunteer at HDH, I provided advice and assistance to Filipino domestic workers who sought help or advice. During my time there, I met with some wonderful organizations in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore including: Asian Migrant Centre, (www.asian-migrants.org), Transient Workers Count Too (www.twc2.org.sg), The Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (www.home.org.sg), and the Center for Migrant Advocacy (www.pinoy-abroad.net).

Q. What do you think about the fact that there are extremely few of such organizations functioning within the Middle East, despite society’s awareness and concern for migrant workers and their rights, and despite millions of migrant and domestic workers here?

The Philippines and Hong Kong have laws that recognize and protect migrant domestic workers. The existence of these laws allows space for non-profit organizations to try to close the gap between what the law promises and what it delivers. Perhaps the lack of formal legal recognition for migrant domestic workers makes it more difficult for organizations to get funding to advocate for migrant rights in the Middle East.

Some people have made the argument that migrant workers are not the responsibility of the host country but rather the responsibility of their home countries. Whose responsibility do you think they are and who should play the bigger role in securing their rights?

I think is the responsibility of both the countries that send and receive migrant labor to ensure that the movement of labor is fair, transparent, and non-exploitive. Governments that utilize and derive economic benefit from migrant work in their economy bear the primary legal obligation to enforce international labor standards. But states alone cannot protect workers; respect for the workers’ rights and dignity starts with employers.

Q. What do you think about the Kafala system in the Gulf?

I am still trying to learn more and understand this system. However, it seems that the current system of sponsorship means that an employer has immense power over a domestic worker because she cannot leave the country or change employers without his consent. This power imbalance between workers and employers and lack of regulation and oversight makes conditions of exploitation much more likely to exist and persist.

Q. Do you plan to launch a career in this field once you’re done with law school?
Decent work and just treatment for workers will always be a passion of mine, and I hope to be able to turn this interest into a career.

Q. Why do you think it’s important for other people to take action on behalf of migrant workers in their countries? How can people help?

Migrant workers play a central role in driving the economy within the countries that they work. We cannot enjoy the benefits of that economy progress, while ignoring the plight of those that help make it possible. People can help by writing letters to the editor, starting awareness-building groups, and reading and learning more about this issue.