UAE Reviewing Its Visa Policies

The United Arab EMirates (UAE) is now reviewing its visa policies to reduce the number of its illegal migrant workers, which includes overseas Filipino worker (OFW's), the Department of LAbor and Employment (DOLE) said yesterday.

Labor and Employment secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that at the end of the second Abu Dhabi Dialogue in Manila, the Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (IACAT) is now finalizing its report, which it will submit to UAE to review its visa policies.

This came after she held talks with UAE Labor Minister Saqr Gobash to control the number of vulnerable and abused OFW's in the UEA, "He suggested that we document these workers, so we can start our negotiations with their ambassador". Baldoz aaid. "We will cease that opportunity because according to admin Hans (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Administrator Hans Cacdac) at the IACAT that they have already readied the documented cases for our women workers, who enter with visit visa and has been victimized in prostitution", she said.

Baldoz also lauded the successful conclusion of the second Abu Dhabi Dialogue, which is now institutionalized after the participating Asian countries approved the draft of the Interim Guidelines on Operational Modalities For the Abu Dhabi Dialogue. while non-binding and voluntary, she said the framework of cooperation will fast-track the forging of new agreements between labor sending and receiving countries. The framework also includes provisions on protecting women migrant workers and repatriation during emergency situations.

"This is a big step because before it was hard to organize these kinds of events without the necessary guidelines, " Baldoz noted. Recruitment expert Lito Sorianino, who was among the observers in the event, lauded the successful dialogue, since it has been spearheaded by labor receiving countries in Asia, particularly Gulf state Countries.