The Philippines says it will ban its citizens from working in 41 countries where satisfactory safeguards against labor abuse do not exist.

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said Wednesday that relatively few workers will be affected because none of the 41 countries accepts large numbers of Filipino workers. As many as 10 percent of the Philippines’ 94 million citizens work abroad.

Baldoz said the ban will not apply to workers employed by multinational companies. She said the government will help to integrate any workers who wish to return home from the affected countries.

Countries on the list include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya and Iraq.

The list was prepared in response to a law providing that overseas workers should be deployed only to countries where the rights of migrant workers are protected.

Under the law, the protection can exist under the country’s existing laws or through a bilateral arrangement with Manila. The Philippines will also send workers to countries that have signed international conventions protecting migrant workers.