An old news report is being spread across TikTok and Facebook (FB) to claim that Kuwait has banned Filipinos from entering the Arab country starting this week. This needs context.
The news report was actually from over a year ago and the Kuwait government has already lifted its ban on Filipino tourists and workers.
The old clip, which began recirculating on July 28, was originally uploaded by One PH’s TikTok account last May 2023. It bore a superimposed text that read:
“KUWAIT, BAWAL NA ANG PINOY (Kuwait has banned Filipinos)!”
In May 2023, Kuwait suspended the issuance of new work and entry visas for Filipinos following the murder of Filipina domestic worker Jullebee Ranara. The suspension came after the Department of Migrant Workers limited deployment of domestic workers to the country.
The Gulf nation lifted the visa ban this June. However, for domestic workers, only those with previous work experience will be deployed to Kuwait. First-timers are still prohibited entry.
Netizens in the comments section flagged the video for spreading misinformation, saying it was an old news report. Others who believed the clip expressed worry and called on the Philippine government to also ban Kuwaiti nationals from entering the country.
Uploaded by TikTok user @marylovepeter28, the clip garnered over 3.5 million views, 80,500 likes, 10,600 shares and 2,322 comments. Multiple FB accounts also reposted the clip.
