Combating human trafficking, residency-related exploitation Kuwait’s top priority: Al-Osaimi

• Kuwait’s recent upgrade from the Tier 2 Watch List to Tier 2 in the US State Department’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report reflects the dedicated efforts of all relevant government agencies.
• Kuwait’s Tier 2 ranking demonstrates the country’s commitment to enhancing labor protections, combating trafficking, and strengthening oversight mechanisms, while signaling its readiness to further advance worker rights and regulatory compliance in the coming years.

Acting Director-General of the Public Authority for Manpower, Eng. Rabab Al-Osaimi, said combating human trafficking and residency-related exploitation remains a top priority for the State of Kuwait.

She emphasized that strict legal measures are being enforced against anyone found involved in illegal practices, noting that “there will be no tolerance for this phenomenon, which harms the country’s reputation and the rights of workers residing on its territory.”

Al-Osaimi added, Kuwait’s progress in combating human trafficking is the result of coordinated legislative and executive efforts. These include recent qualitative measures aimed at enhancing the protection of workers’ rights, standardizing inspection procedures, streamlining complaint handling, and strengthening awareness and training programs for labor inspectors to ensure effective law enforcement, reports Al-Jarida daily.

Looking ahead, the next phase will involve tightening regulatory measures, including doubling field inspection campaigns to detect violations related to workers’ rights or contractual terms.

More precise mechanisms will also be implemented to document employment contracts and monitor employers’ commitments, closing loopholes that could be exploited by unscrupulous individuals.

Al-Osaimi stressed that Kuwait’s recent upgrade from the Tier 2 Watch List to Tier 2 in the US State Department’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report reflects the dedicated efforts of all relevant government agencies. She specifically acknowledged the Ministry of Manpower, led by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, for its central role in achieving this milestone.

Kuwait’s Tier 2 ranking demonstrates the country’s commitment to enhancing labor protections, combating trafficking, and strengthening oversight mechanisms, while signaling its readiness to further advance worker rights and regulatory compliance in the coming years.

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