GCC countries to impose strict rules on domestics recruitment

Around 1 Mln Expat Transactions Processed: Al-Afasi

KUWAIT CITY, July 18: The GCC countries have started coordinating their efforts to impose stricter rules on the recruitment of domestic workers, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting a reliable source. The source said the GCC nations are on the verge of approving a proposal to specify the countries from which they will hire domestic laborers, particularly the housemaids, to avoid the recurrence of problems in the domestic labor sector. The source pointed out the recently-concluded conference in Geneva, attended by representatives from Kuwait’s ministries of Interior, Social Affairs and Labor, tackled a number of observations on the domestic labor market in Kuwait and other GCC nations. He affirmed these ministries are working hard to address the issues highlighted by the International Labor Organization (ILO), which severely criticized the way housemaids are being treated in Kuwait in its latest report.

According to the organization’s report, the housemaids have been deprived of their rights and they continue to suffer various forms of abuse. The organization also called the attention of Kuwait on the rising suicide rate among housemaids in the last five years. The source revealed the concerned authorities in Kuwait intend to lay down a comprehensive plan to end the suffering of domestic workers and impose harsher penalties on sponsors proven to have violated the rights of the workers. The representatives from the GCC ministries of Interior, Social Affairs and Labor have discussed alternatives due to the rising cost of hiring domestic workers. The source these ministries are studying the possibility of recruiting housemaids from new African countries. Kuwait prefers housemaids from African nations, while other GCC states intend to hire from Nepal for the first time.

In a related development, Kuwait’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Undersecretary Mohammad Al-Kandari said the GCC ministers of Social Affairs and Labor will meet by the end of October in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to discuss the ILO report on the domestic labor sector in the GCC. Meanwhile, The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor has processed around one million residency-related transactions for expatriates and commercial license applications through the automated system since its implementation, reports Alam Alyawm daily quoting Minister Dr Mohammad Al-Afasi. Asserting the system has greatly contributed in reducing bureaucracy, Al-Afasi stressed the new mechanism also plays a great role in realizing the development goals of the government. Meanwhile, Eng Hussein Al-Mutairi, head of the team tasked to inspect construction sites to ensure strict compliance with the law prohibiting laborers from working under the direct heat of the sun from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm during summer, disclosed the companies found to have violated the law will be put under code 73.

Al-Mutairi made the announcement while inspecting some construction sites in South Surra recently, during which the team registered six violations. He said the team has, so far, issued citations against 652 companies and 699 laborers. He added Jahra and Ahmadi have the highest number of violations, while Ahmadi has the lowest among the six governorates. He warned the campaign will continue to protect the workers from the harmful effects of long exposure to the scorching heat of summer. In another report, the Ministry of Interior’s Information Technology and Communications Department floated a tender recently to link the Kuwaiti embassies with concerned departments in the ministry to issue visas, reports Annahar daily.

Sources said applicants will be identified before they arrive in the country to help surmount forgery and illegal entry. Under the project, work permits and visas will be issued to fulfill high-level security specifications to control forgery and manipulation of the applicant’s data, sources added. Meanwhile, a joint committee comprising representatives from the Interior Ministry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs will study and recommend a mechanism to scrutinize and forward key and biometric data such as fingerprint.

Sources stressed the concerned departments will exchange data with the Kuwaiti embassies and consulates to facilitate the issuance of visas, in line with specific security requirements and policies. Visas issued to the applicants will be linked to their biometric data, sources indicated.