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Britain’s Immigration Minister Liam Byrne has come out with a
policy statement keeping the labor market open for foreign maids and
allowing tourists to stay longer in the United Kingdom.
“This year sees the biggest changes in
Britain’s immigration and border security system for 45 years. Our
policy will deliver strong borders, a selective migration system and
an expectation that newcomers earn the right to stay,” Byrne said.
His statement covered two major points: One,
that the current domestic worker’s visa will be preserved for two
years, and two, that tourist visas will have a validity of six
months instead of three months.
Had the British government phased out the
domestic worker’s visa under the point-based system, foreign maids
would have lost the chance to work in that country. The maid’s
visa policy will be reviewed after two years of operation and be
made permanent if it is proven to be of maximum benefit to British
households.
Byrne’s announcement was in response to his
government’s consultations on its visitor’s policy with
parliamentarians, community leaders, the ethnic minority and with
people in India, it’s largest visa market.
It answered President Gloria Arroyo’s concern
for the continued stay of Filipino maids and caregivers in Britain
which she raised during her visit to London last December.
“We are proud of the protection we afford
overseas domestic workers,” said Byrne in preserving the two-year
visa for foreign maids. It is a reassurance that Filipino maids can
still work in the United Kingdom. It banished their fears that the
hiring of foreign maids’ would be stopped by the UK government.
There are thousands of Filipino maids in the UK
enjoying high salary and better working conditions. They stand a
good chance of becoming permanent residents or UK naturalized
citizens if they can qualify under the country’s immigration laws.
The policy allowing Filipino maids to continue working in Britain is
a recognition of the role they play in serving British families.
Filipinos with relatives working in Britain
welcome the tourist’s visa policy under which a permanent Filipino
resident in the UK is allowed to sponsor the visit of a family
member without putting up a monetary bond. However, he is required
to be licensed by the UK Border Agency and will be subject to
sanctions if the sponsored relative fails to return to the
Philippines after six months.
The recruitment of Filipino domestic helpers
has become a worldwide phenomenon, with many countries finding them
a welcome addition to their people’s families. By choice, the
maids find Britain, Canada, Italy, Hong Kong and some other European
nations as good destination points. They enjoy good pay, ample
government protection and better treatment by employers.
In Canada, many Filipino maids have become
permanent residents and naturalized Canadian citizens since its
government intensified the hiring of Filipino domestic helpers in
the 1980s.
These maids have since petitioned for the
immigration of family members and are now living with them in
relative comfort in their adopted country. Many have taken up new
jobs commensurate with their college courses, whether earned in the
Philippines or in Canada.
In Italy, Filipino domestic helpers take two or
more jobs to increase their income. Many have decided to stay in the
country as immigrants with their families.
There are an estimated 160,000 Filipino maids
in Hong Kong who are well protected by its labor laws. An employer
who compels his maid to do non-household chores, like washing a car,
is subject to sanctions calling for a heavy fine or a jail sentence.
Recently, the maid’s salary was increased from HK$3,480 to
HK$3,580.
It is in the Middle East countries where
Filipino maids often encounter problems of employer’s abuse and
exploitation. Contract substitution is prevalent, resulting in the
payment of reduced salaries. In some instances, maids are driven to
commit suicide by jumping from windows because of employer’s
torture or sexual abuse.
The government should take a selective
deployment policy organizing marketing missions to countries where
Filipino maids are treated well and closing destination points where
they are maltreated and exploited. It has done this by banning the
deployment of domestic helpers to Lebanon.
The sending of maids to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
and the United Arab Emirates, which have registered a high incidence
of runaway Filipino maids due to maltreatment should be reviewed
with a view to formulating a new deployment policy.
agr0324@yahoo.com
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