Kuwait’s bill on workers rings alarm bells in India

Kuwait’s bill on workers rings alarm bells in India

7-8 Lakh Indians May Have To Leave Gulf Nation If Law Is Passed

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  06.07.2020

A draft bill to reduce the number of foreign workers in Kuwait has been deemed constitutional by the legal and legislative committee of the Gulf nation’s National Assembly. While the bill still has to be vetted by another committee, as Kuwait chalks out a more comprehensive plan to cut down on foreign workers, it has led to fears in India that as many as 7-8 lakh Indians could be forced out of Kuwait if the bill is enacted into law.

The bill proposes that the number of Indians, who form the largest expatriate community in Kuwait, be reduced to 15% of the country’s 4.8 million population. Indians number about 1.4 million in the country and 15% quota would mean their presence reducing to around 6.5-7 lakh.

The bill, however, proposes similar quotas for other nationalities too. It calls for reducing the number of Egyptians, who form the second largest expatriate community, to 10% of Kuwait's total population.

Kuwait is also a top source of remittances for India. In 2018, India received close to $4.8 billion from Kuwait as remittances.

With its own citizens turning into a minority, Kuwait has been working to reduce its dependence on foreign workers. The bill is seen as a manifestation of the fact that Kuwait no longer wants to remain an expat-majority nation. Covid-19 and the slump in oil prices have also been contributing factors.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Gulf News reported last week, there has been a spike in anti-expat rhetoric as lawmakers and governmental officials call for reducing the number of foreigners in Kuwait. In the middle of this, Kuwait’s PM Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah proposed reduction in the number of expats from 70% to 30% of the total population.

Official sources said the Indian embassy was closely following developments related to the proposed legislation. India has so far not made any statement on the issue.

India has often in the past played up the role of Indian community in Kuwait as an important factor in bilateral ties. As the MEA says, Indians are present in all segments of society in Kuwait and are largely considered disciplined, hardworking and law-abiding.

The Indian embassy in 2009 had set up an Indian Workers’ Welfare Centre which provides a labour complaint redressal mechanism and accommodation for domestic workers in distress, a work contract attestation system, a toll free 24x7 telephone helpline, a free legal advice clinic and also a helpdesk to guide Indian nationals on problems faced by them.

The bill proposes that the number of Indians, who form the largest expatriate community in Kuwait, be reduced to 15% of the country’s 4.8 million population. About 1.4 million Indians reside in Kuwait