Migrante Netherlands, opposes the decision of the Philippine Embassy to cease, effective July 1, the notarization of contracts for Filipinas wanting to be au pairs in the Netherlands. This effectively suspends the au pair program without addressing the problems inherent in the scheme and the root causes of forced migration among Filipinos.
There are currently approximately 2,000 Au Pairs in the Netherlands today, majority of whom (around 36%) are Filipinas. Migrante Netherlands has handled several cases of abuse and maltreatment of Filipina au pairs in recent years. Because of their precarious situation and absolute dependence on their host families, they become vulnerable to further abuse and deception. Many of them endure these abuses due to fear of being deported by authorities.
Whatever issues encountered in the implementation of the au pair program in the Netherlands should be understood in the context of the Philippine government’s economic and political policies which causes forced migration. In particular, the Philippines has long relied on its labor export policy to generate government revenue. Instead of creating sufficient jobs in the country, the government encourages Filipinos to seek greener pastures abroad and the au pair scheme is not spared from this. It is not enough to simply review the guidelines and set up mechanisms to prevent issues arising from the au pair arrangement. The fundamental solution lies in addressing the conditions that force migration in the first place. This can be done through national industrialization and genuine land reform, providing decent jobs and livable incomes for millions of unemployed and underemployed Filipinos.
This system of labor export does not only shape conditions in the Philippines, it also integrates Filipino workers into global labor markets in ways that often normalize precarity and undervaluation of care and domestic work abroad especially among women migrants. Within this broader context, it is important to note how receiving countries rely on migrant labor while deflecting responsibility for systemic crises onto migrants themselves.
The far-right political forces in the Netherlands continue to blame migrants as the cause of the crises that they are currently facing. Many Dutch families are severely affected by the crisis as the cost of living continuous to rise forcing couples to work for more income. In this context, many rely on au pair arrangements as a cheap source of domestic help to attend to household needs and childcare support. At the same time, au pairs perform real and essential domestic labor in Dutch households and should therefore be guaranteed living wages and meaningful labor protections in recognition of their work.
Instead of imposing a ban on Filipino au pairs, the Philippine embassy should focus on how to genuinely protect Filipina au pairs in the Netherlands by ensuring access to support services, legal protection, and meaningful safeguards against exploitation and abuse.
At the same time, we call on the Dutch government to undertake a serious review of the au pair scheme. Au pairs must not continue to be positioned in a grey zone between care work and “cultural exchange” that leaves them vulnerable to exploitation. They should be guaranteed living wages in recognition of the domestic and care work they perform, afforded labor rights, and protected from all forms of abuse and unfair treatment.
Any serious effort to address the situation of Filipino au pairs abroad must also confront the fundamental issue of forced migration in the Philippines. As long as unemployment, low wages, landlessness, and the absence of genuine industrial development persist, Filipinos will continue to be pushed to seek work overseas under precarious conditions.
