In the government’s bid to regulate entry of foreign workers in the country through the newly adjusted immigration protocol, authorities are now after those responsible for bringing in foreign nationals to work as labourers but only to leave them without jobs upon entering the country.
This scheme is also among one of the reasons why the government now requires those who enter the country on visit visas to have medical insurance, in order to cut down the numbers of illegal immigrants in the State.
600 Visas Sold to Foreign Workers, Five Wanted
In relation to this, the residency affairs department recently referred a case of human trafficking to public prosecution involving five fake farm owners who reportedly sold 600 visas to foreign workers in order to bring them into the country, as shared in a report by the Kuwait Times.
According to the report, authorities have already tracked and arrested two of the five suspects, while the remaining three are still being located with search and arrest warrants on their heads.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani man has recently been arrested in Salmi on his attempt to smuggle in a kilogram of illegal drug known as “Ice” (metamphetamine) stashed in obscure spots inside his truck. According to authorities, the man was coming from a neighbouring GCC state when he was apprehended by custom officials because of the contraband that was on him upon entering Kuwait.
Human trafficking and smuggling are two cases which are very common yet still rampant in most countries, and not just in Kuwait. And while the government is constantly improving its laws and systems in addressing this long-standing issue, there are still plenty of related cases out there, partly because the people involved lack information or means to seek help, while others refuse to coordinate with authorities in dealing with such cases.