DESK REVIEW ON POPULATIONS AT RISK OF STATELESSNESS of 25 to 34 years.97 Moreover, 62.5% of female OFWs were working in what was called “elementary occupations.”98 This includes those working as domestic workers, who may be unprotected by the local labor laws in the countries where they work and may be at risk of exploitation and abuse in the household. The total remittances sent by OFWs during the period of April to September 2019 was estimated at PHP 211.9 billion. This figure provides a strong economic incentive for both individuals and the State to engage in and support overseas work. Therefore, the Government of the Philippines and its population have a shared interest in ensuring basic protections for the rights of OFWs and in promoting improved conditions for OFWs in the countries in which they work. There is a risk that both the Government of the Philippines and individual OFWs may be reluctant to disturb the status quo for fear of disrupting existing channels of work which are of economic benefit to the individuals and the country.99 However, recent efforts have provided evidence that the Government of the Philippines and OFWs have greater leverage than they may have previously believed, and that intervention, advocacy, and negotiation with host States, employment agencies, etc. have a positive impact both economically and for the rights of OFWs and the conditions in which they work. For example, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration noted during initial consultations that the process of assessment and certification under RA 10022 is ongoing year in and year out, and carried out by the DFA, but rather than an all or nothing scenario of certification or decertification, what the Philippines strives to do is engage with these countries bilaterally to improve policies and processes for OFWs.100 This has led to improvements to systems and conditions. B.1. Countries of the Gulf Data on the number of stateless persons in the countries of the Gulf region is considered to be underreported and unknown, but among current estimates in the most recent UNHCR Global Trends published in June 2020, Kuwait hosts 92,020 stateless persons, Saudi Arabia 70,000, and Qatar 1,200, with no specific number listed for the UAE.101 See Statistical Tables attached to the Press Release issued on 4 June 2020, available at: https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/survey/ labor-and-employment/survey-overseas-filipinos/table. 97 Philippine Statistics Authority, 2012 Philippine Standard Occupational Classification (PSOC), available at: https://psa.gov.ph/ classification/psoc/technical-notes#:~:text=Elementary%20occupations%20%2D%20occupations%20in%20this,members%20 of%20the%20armed%20forces. (“Major Group 9. Elementary occupations - occupations in this group involve the performance of simple and routine tasks which may require the use of handheld tools and considerable physical effort.”). 98 This concern was raised in “The Condition of Overseas Filipino Workers in Saudi Arabia,” Final Report of the Investigating Mission of the Committee on Overseas Workers’ Affairs (COWA) to Saudi Arabia, 9-13 January 2011. 99 Excerpt from initial consultations with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), 24 August 2020. 100 UNHCR, Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2019, 18 June 2020, available at: https://www.unhcr.org/en-au/statistics/ unhcrstats/5ee200e37/unhcr-global-trends-2019.html. 101 36 UNHCR / April 2021