The Ministry of Information (MoI) terminated the services of 23 expat employees working in the news and television sector, reports a local daily. They are the first batch, and will be followed by another batch to be laid off on Sunday that consists of a large number of expatriate employees. The expatriates, who will be terminated, will not be permitted to transfer their residency to a company the private sector, but rather will be given a grace period.
Government agencies are working to raise the numbers of Kuwaitis and lay off as many expatriates as possible in line with the instructions of the Cabinet and CSC as part of the Kuwaitization policy.
Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah said in June that expatriates in the country should be reduced by 70 per cent of their total population to redress demographic imbalance in the country. Campaigns to replace migrant workers in Kuwait have recently gathered momentum as the economy feels the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis. Foreigners account for nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait’s 4.8 million population.