Even as the country seeks to remove the kafala system, cases of abuse and exploitation are still evident right at the point where migrant workers are lured in by agents of human trafficking – individuals or companies.
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Such cases put migrant workers at risk for further opportunities of abuse, maltreatment, or even injustice. However, this is most of the time not entirely the migrant workers’ fault because the system is not completely flawless, and whatever comes out of their situation, they can still be considered as victims, and the government has to recognize that and address their cases as humanely as possible.
No Deportation for Expats Duped by Fake Companies or Labour Traffickers
In line with this, the Directorate-General of Residence Affairs has announced that it will not deport workers registered under fake or non-existent companies, as reported by Kuwait Times.
Based on the report, the owners of the said companies, who are believed to be Kuwaitis as well, allegedly brought in around 10,000 workers in the country. They have already been charged with human trafficking and have been referred to the Public Prosecution.
There have already been instructions given to the criminal security sector implicating that the involved workers must be allowed to rectify their status after settling their fines and allowing them to find work in other companies. The decision made has taken into consideration the “human aspect” of the labour victims.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General has also launched a massive security campaign inside the Naeem Scrapyard and the Jahra Industrial Area, which led to the arrest of 300 violators of residence and labour laws.
In line with this, Interior Minister Lt-Gen Sheikh Khaled Jarrah noted that the criminal security sector, represented by the Directorate- General of Residence Investigations has designed an integrated security plan to clamp down sites where migrant workers live.
Al-Jarrah noted that those arrested during the campaign will be referred for deportation and restrictions will likewise be imposed on their sponsors. This means that the sponsors will not be allowed to bring in any migrant workers on top of the human trafficking cases filed against them.
For anyone interested to work in Kuwait or anywhere abroad, it’s highly important that we make the conscious decision to abide by the law and applicable regulations which concern our employment overseas in order to avoid falling prey to scammers and criminals who wish to exploit our situation.