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Kuwait eyes fixed period foreign residence and quotas
| Published: | 29 Mar at 6 PM |
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The Kuwait Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour is mulling over suggestions that the emirate should bring in fixed periods of residence for expat workers as well as nationality quotas.
The ministry is responsible for the overseeing of expatriates and marginal personnel in the country, with a committee meeting regularly to discuss the position as regards overseas workers. Undersecretary for the organisation Abdulmohsen al-Mutairi revealed that three issues are being discussed at present.
The first is the establishment of a quota for each foreign nationality in the emirate; the second is a bid to allocate fixed residence periods linked to the status of expat workers’ jobs. Marginal personnel would be allowed to stay for five years, with intermediate level technical staff given seven years and expert technical staff granted a ten-year stay.
In addition, the committee is discussing restricting the numbers of marginal personnel allowed to enter Kuwait. Al-Mutairi is demanding that Kuwait’s ministries and government institutions submit their opinions to the committee within two weeks.
A second committee meeting will take place over the next two weeks to formulate methods to control terrorist activities, and will be backed with input from other concerned ministries. In addition, the committee will set up special teams to identify and control money-laundering in the emirate.
Al-Mutairi added that there was concern over employees in his ministry’s Labour Department who are being bombarded with malicious complaints by employers. Several companies, it seems, are angry that the ministry supports the rights of foreign labourers, with one company taking court action against a ministerial employee who defended the labour rights of the company’s employees.
The ministry is responsible for the overseeing of expatriates and marginal personnel in the country, with a committee meeting regularly to discuss the position as regards overseas workers. Undersecretary for the organisation Abdulmohsen al-Mutairi revealed that three issues are being discussed at present.
The first is the establishment of a quota for each foreign nationality in the emirate; the second is a bid to allocate fixed residence periods linked to the status of expat workers’ jobs. Marginal personnel would be allowed to stay for five years, with intermediate level technical staff given seven years and expert technical staff granted a ten-year stay.
In addition, the committee is discussing restricting the numbers of marginal personnel allowed to enter Kuwait. Al-Mutairi is demanding that Kuwait’s ministries and government institutions submit their opinions to the committee within two weeks.
A second committee meeting will take place over the next two weeks to formulate methods to control terrorist activities, and will be backed with input from other concerned ministries. In addition, the committee will set up special teams to identify and control money-laundering in the emirate.
Al-Mutairi added that there was concern over employees in his ministry’s Labour Department who are being bombarded with malicious complaints by employers. Several companies, it seems, are angry that the ministry supports the rights of foreign labourers, with one company taking court action against a ministerial employee who defended the labour rights of the company’s employees.
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