Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is permanently banning Filipinos from working in Kuwait.
Duterte announced the move shortly after arriving in Davao City from Singapore over the weekend.
"Your government will do its best to help you return and resettle. I appeal to your sense of patriotism and to your love of country and family," Duterte said.
A temporary ban had been in place since February after the body of a Filipina maid was found stuffed in a freezer in Kuwait.
The two nations were trying to negotiate an end to the ban. But that went up in flames last week when authorities in Kuwait arrested members of the Philippine embassy staff for allegedly helping maids escape their employers. Kuwait ordered the Philippines ambassador to leave and asked its own envoy to return home from Manila, promptly ending negotiations on the ban.
Not everyone is happy with Duterte's decision to make the ban permanent.
Critics say he can't guarantee workers financial aid or other job opportunities and shouldn't ask them to put their livelihoods at risk by returning home.
