Philippines reaffirms ‘no placement fee’ for Qatar-bound OFWs

The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reiterated its dedication to protecting the rights of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) by issuing a circular that underscores the strict enforcement of the "no placement fee” policy for Filipinos bound for Qatar.This move aligns with Qatar’s existing labour laws, which prohibit recruitment agencies from charging any fees for recruitment, expenses or other associated costs, according to the Philippine embassy in Doha.The announcement stressed that Qatar is classified as a non-placement fee labour-receiving country. This means that licensed recruitment agencies are explicitly barred from collecting any form of payment related to recruitment fees from workers heading to Qatar.The DMW circular, signed by Secretary Hans Leo J Cacdac, draws attention to Article 33 of Qatar Law No 14 of 2004, which clearly states that recruitment agencies are not permitted to charge any sum for recruitment-related expenses.This directive is further supported by Section 56 (b) of the DMW’s 2023 Department Circular No 01, titled "Promulgating the 2023 Department of Migrant Workers Rules and Regulations Governing the Recruitment and Employment of Landbased Overseas Filipino Workers”, which governs the recruitment and employment of land-based OFWs.The DMW has warned that violators of the no placement fee policy will face serious administrative penalties, including the cancellation of their licenses as stipulated under Section 139 (m) Rule II, Part VI of the aforementioned rules and regulations.