After extensive discussions and negotiations with the government of Norway and various agencies in the Philippines, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment have announced the lifting of the ban on the deployment of au pairs bound for Norway. The order will take effect immediately. Norway is the only other country in Europe (the other is Switzerland) where the ban has been lifted.

Both agencies expressed satisfaction that the conditions prevailing in Norway warrant sufficient safety nets to promote and protect the rights and welfare of the au pairs in this country. The Norwegian government has also exercised flexibility and accommodation of the Philippine government’s requirements to provide safety nets to provide health insurance for au pairs as well as cover their repatriation in case of death or when they are no longer able to fulfil their contracts due to terminal illness and other similar reasons. According to the Norwegian authorities, the au pair contract has already been amended to reflect such provisions and will be effective in June 2010.

The POEA will be announcing the appropriate guidelines in implementing the order. Au pair contracts will now have to be submitted to the Philippine Embassy in Oslo for authentication. The contract will then have to be submitted to the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA) to obtain the necessary permit and for the applicants to undergo pre-departure orientation seminars to prepare them for their new life in Norway. The au pair will, of course, have to obtain the requisite visa from the Norwegian Embassy in Manila, The contract, the passport with the requisite visa and the POEA permit will be presented to the Bureau of Immigration upon departure.

The Embassy and the POEA have also developed a DVD to be used in the pre-departure orientation of future au pairs to acquaint them with their new life in Norway.

The Philippine Embassy reiterates its warning to au pairs not to give any amount to any party or middlemen to facilitate their departure. Any attempt to obtain money from au pairs, outside the official fees duly acknowledged with official receipts, should be reported immediately to the Philippine Embassy or the Department of Labor and Employment for appropriate action.

The Embassy is also in the final stages of negotiations with Denmark so that the ban could also be lifted on au pairs bound for this country. The Minister of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs, Birthe Røhn Hornbech has indicated her positive response to the proposals of the Philippine Embassy on the matter.

With the lifting of the ban , the two countries have now aligned their otherwise divergent policies on the matter, and should, hopefully reduce or eliminate the factors leading to the exploitation of the system. Au pairs will now be given an opportunity to learn about Norway and in turn be able to help their host families.

This lifting ban doesn’t mean that the aupair problems will stop but will surely will increase but reading the Guidelines or a memorandum of Agreement between the two countries at least the aupairs will have the security in case they become sick or die during their au pair stay then they host family will shoulder their repatriation. (Will discuss it further next post)

The aspiring Filipino aupairs should always be reminded that the AUPAIR is not a DOMESTIC HELPER, know their aupair rights and of course speak up if you think you are being abused and don’t pay anything to middle men/illegal agents/agencies.

Philippines Embassy in Norway will conduct an Consular Outreach program in Denmark so for those Filipino passport holders in Denmark who still hold a green passport now it’s your time to renew or submit your applications without going to Norway since renewal of the new machine readable passport requires your personal appearance in the embassy.

Here’s the announcement from the embassy:

CONSULAR OUTREACH MISSION IN DENMARK (June 13, 2010)

Dear Friends and Kababayans in Denmark,
The Philippine Embassy is pleased to announce that it will be conducting another Consular Outreach Mission in Denmark on June 13 at the Storsal of Skt. Annæ Kirke. We urge you to kindly spread the word so that we can reach as many Filipinos in the country as possible. Below are the details.

CONSULAR OUTREACH MISSION IN DENMARK (June 13, 2010)
The Philippine Embassy will be conducting mobile Machine Readable Passporting Services in Copenhagen, Denmark on 13 June (Sunday) at the Storsal, Skt. Annæ Kirke at Hans Bogbinders Allé 2, 2300 København S starting 9AM-12NN and 1-6PM.
Kindly refer to our website for the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) application requirements and make sure to bring COMPLETE requirements. Please also make sure to include a photocopy of the data page of your old passport and its amendments page if any change has been made to your details in your passport. Application forms may be downloaded from our website as well.
For more information about the Machine Readable Passport, you may visit:
http://www.philembassy.no/consular/mrp2.html
Thank you and looking forward to seeing you soon!
Sincerely,
LENNA EILLEEN C. DE DIOS-SISON
Third Secretary and Vice Consul
Philippine Embassy
4th Floor, Nedre Vollgate 4
0158 Oslo, NORWAY

+47 2240 0904 (Direct Line)
+47 2241 7401 (Fax)

The Au pair network which consists of Babaylan DK and other Filipino organizations, FOA (labor union who is the only union who give time to look into aupairs problems),KIT, Members of the Parliament Thomas Jensen, a Social Democrat and Karen Krag, Socialistic People’s Party and a lot concern Danish from Hellerup Language Skole, to other people   from different walks of life who are concern about the aupair. The Au Pair Network did not won the contract which is my personal opinion was frustrating considering the that the majority of aupairs in Denmark are Filipinos that’s why we created this network.  This Aupair network also worked hard to press this issue to reach the session hall of the Parliament which approves this budget for aupair Support. Check my article about this Parliament hearing in my personal blog, The Filipinamom in Denmark.But even though we did not won or have any budget our network still is working for the betterment of the aupair in this country and we still have a lot cases with all sort of abuse from overwork to sexual harassment and in the worst case scenario rape by their host father.

But please call the AU PAIR SUPPORT use them because they have the facility and they have lawyers and that’s their job they get paid by helping you. I usually get their assistance if there are some aupair problems I can’t answer and they are very helpful.

Catholic Church

Oslo

St. Olav’s Cathedral
Every Sunday English Masses at 1800H

Address: Akersveien 1, 0177 Oslo
Contact Person: Rev. Fr. Amando Bergantino Alfaro Jr. and Ms. Elizabeth Helland (Church Secretary)

Contact No.: +47 2321 9573, +47 2298 2165 and + 47 9940 5608 (Mobile)

St. Joseph’s Church
Every Sunday English Masses at 0930H Every 4th Sunday of the Month: 1400H (Tagalog Mass)
Every Friday: 1800H (Tagalog Mass)

Address: Akersveien 4, 0177 Oslo
Contact Person: Rev. Fr. Redentor M. Molina
Contact No.: +47 9986 4952

Copenhagen:

Skt. Annæ’s Church
Saturday and Sunday English Masses at 1700H

Address: Skt. Elizabeth’s Allé 2, 2300 Kbh. , Denmark

Contact Person: Fr. Benny Mathew,C.Ss.R
Contact No.: +45 – 2193 4215 (Mobile)
e-Mail: bennycssr@hotmail.com
Chaplain for the Filipino Community: Fr. Joe Toms, C.Ss.R.
Contact No.: +45 5322 5232 (mobile)
e-Mail: joetoms77@ymail.com

How to get there: take 5 A from the city and get down in Tycho Brahes Alle note is already Zone 3 so it’s better stand up in Englandsvej busstop which is still zone 1 and walk around 100 meters ahead or take 3500S and go down in Englandsvej)

Sakramentskirken
Wednesday English Mass& Novena at 1700H

Address: Nørrebrogade 27C, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
Contact Person 1: Fr.Reinhold Sahner
Contact No.:+45 3535 6825 (fastnet)
e-Mail: sakramentskirken@mail-telia.dk
How to get there: Take bus no. 5A and go down in Ravnsborgade Busstop.

Sunday English Mass 1800H

Contact Person 2: Fr. Carroll Parker, Omi
Contact No.: +45 3125 5996 (Mobile)
e-Mail: carroll.parker@mail.dk

Vor Frue Kirken in Herlev
Thursday English Mass at 0930H and Sunday English Mass at 1130H

Address: Herlevgårdsvej 14, 2730 Herlev
Contact Person: Fr. Carroll Parker, Omi
Contact No.: +45 3125 5996 (Mobile)
e-Mail: carroll.parker@mail.dk

St. Knud Lavard’s Church
Sunday English Mass at 1300H

Address: Lyngbygårdsvej 1A, 2800 Lyngby
Contact Person: Fr. Alren Soosaipillai, OMI
Office tel nr: 45 87 08 88
Contact No: 50 15 52 26
e-Mail: alrenomi@gmail.com

Jesus is Lord

Oslo

Jesus is Lord Norway
Every Sunday: 1530H – 1800H
Every Thursday: 1800H – 2100H

Address: American Lutheran Church, Fritznersgate 15, 0264 Oslo
Contact Person: Pastor Gilbert Palmero
Contact No.: +47 9528-2491
e-Mail: jilnorwaychapter@hotmail.com

Copenhagen

Jesus is Lord Copenhagen
Every Sunday: 1445H – 1700H

Address: Allehelgens Kirke 43, Ungarnsgade 2300, Kbh S
Contact Person: Pastor Precy Soltes-Ofori
Contact No.: +45 3123 9778 and +45 3646 3113
website: www.jesusislordchurch.dk

Living World Bible Center

Living World Bible Cente

Every Sunday: 1500H – 1730H

Address: Geitmyrsveien 7D 0107 Oslo
Contact Person: Pastor Vic del Valle and Sis. Ana del Valle
Contact No.: + 47 4023 0603 and + 47 4024 9524
e-Mail: livingwordbiblecenter@yahoo.com

Filipino Christian Church

Oslo

Filipino Christian Church Norway
Every Sunday: 1400H – 1700H

Address: Filadelfia Center St. Olavsgate
Contact Person: Pastor John Angeles
Contact No.: +47 6084 3667
e-Mail: jpa4569@yahoo.com

Copenhagen:

Filipino Christian Church Copenhagen
Every Sunday: 1730H – 2030H

Address: Culture Hall/Kultur Sal, Drejervej 15-21,2400 Copenhagen NV
Contact Person: Pastor Raymond Osias
Contact No.: +45 2692 9314
Website: www.fcccommunities.com

Iglesia ni Cristo 1

Copenhagen:

Filipino Christian Church Copenhagen
Every Sunday: 1730H – 2030H

Iglesia ni Cristo
Every Thursday: 1900Hpm-2000H ;Every Sunday: 1000H – 1100H

Address: Brønshøjvej 12, 2700 København
Contact Person: Rossal Kiilerich
Contact No.: +45 41233679
e-mail: divinekiilerich@yahoo.com

Workship services are both conducted in English

Copenhagen Community Church (CCC)

Copenhagen:

Copenhagen Community Church
Sundays: 1100H – 1300H

Norre Farimagsgade 45
1364 Copenhagen K

A host Mother in Holte located in North Zealand north of Copenhagen was sentence to pay a discounted fine of 40,000 dkk which the Supreme Court decided after the convicted was sentence to 30,000 dkk from a municipal court then filed an appeal to the country court and actually sentenced her to pay higher fine of 60,000 dkk. According to the news item the Supreme court decidedt o reduce her fine because the law is directed for employers who uses undocumented workers while in her case she is a private person.

The helper as you guessed right it is a Filipina who if I base it in earlier news report was a former aupair who helped clean the house 3 hours a week and worked for 6 months. So the cheap labor becomes so expensive for the family that exploits cheap labor and uses undocumented workers. The Filipina ex- aupair was caught by the police together with another Filipina by an anonymous  tip. On their way to the police station the girls  told the police and point out that there are 10 more houses that they clean. The Filipinas were deported. The 10 families who used the undocumented Filipinas will soon get their time in the court.

Let this be a lesson to all au pairs that staying illegally is risky because of the  stricter law against illegal or undocumented workers. Most of the time when the police caught overstaying foreigners they will send them to their country as soon as possible. I heard that most of them does have only their clothes on their back when they are sent to their home countries. You will be quarantine if you will be caught by the police meaning you can not travel to Denmark or any Schengen country for at least  5 years but if you go home on your free will then its shorter. ( I maybe wrong but that what I heard from a person who went back home on her free will). But you can’t travel if your passport is expried  you have to apply for a new passpost  contact the Philippine Embassy in Norway for new passport but of course you have to pay.

Here’s the link to the news report just use google translate to understand it.

http://avisen.dk/boede-paa-40000-for-sort-rengoering_118409.aspx

Note: This is an old article which was lying on my draft since November but I still warn aupairs to go home after their aupair contract expires as this complicate their situation like for example they become sick or become pregnant or what if tragedy stucks your family then you can not come home. I recieved a lot of inquiries same as my organization, Babaylan Denmark a lot of aupairs who were stopped on their way for example in Germany because they overstayed and they were put into jail and paid a huge sum Euros as fine. So if any of you decide,  you with expired contract wishes to go home you go have to go to the Danish Immigration Service and ask for Visa D some kind of transit visa but you have to give explanation why you overstayed. In my opinionyou will not be denied when you voluntary will leave the country because when the authorities will send you the state will be the one who’s going to pay for the plane ticket because remember the Philippine Goverment cannot help you because of the on going ban of aupairs but according to the Philippines embassy in Norway you are still Filipino citizens so call them so they can give you a good advice.

You can also ask some guidance to aupair support at the following contact details: Au pair Support, Borgergade 10, 3.sal, 1300 København K, Tlf.: 3373 5322, contact@aupairsupport.dk

As a bonus you can avail of “discount flyer” from Western Union with 30kr discount which can be use when you send money to your loved ones and pay less 30kr for a transaction only.