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Expatriate worker inflow overcomes government restrictions

Despite attempts by the government at regulating the inflow of unqualified and marginal workers into Kuwait, official statistics show 364,500 expatriate workers entered the country in the last five years. More than 50 percent of these employees are construction workers, security guards, operators of heavy equipment and truck drivers.

Topping the list of expatriate employees who entered the country in the last five years were Indians who made up 175,000 of the total entrants, followed by Egyptians with 80,000. On the other hand, during this same period, the numbers of Pakistanis reduced by 12,000 to reach a total of 80,000, and Iranians were down by 4,321 to reach a total of 22,600.

Kuwait is attempting to rectify the demographic imbalance in the country by restricting the number of expatriates allowed in, said State Minister for Economic Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeel. However, she added, that this demographic adjustment will be made against a roadmap that begins with an estimation by the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) on the labor needs of the country.

She added that workers being recruited would also need to have minimum qualifications and experience set by PAM to take up skilled professions and government bodies would have to apply to the authority to recruit new workers.

 

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