Kuwait to reconsider labour relations with countries not taking back their nationals

Kuwait is considering several options to restructure its cooperation and labour relations with countries refusing to take back their nationals working in Kuwait, a high ranking government source told Al Rai newspaper on condition of anonymity.

The source told Al Rai in a candid interview that their dealings with these foreign countries will change after the coronavirus pandemic is brought under control and the special exemptions enjoyed by these countries would no longer be given.

The source asserted that the nature of dealing with countries will change according to their response to Kuwait at the time of the crisis, adding that reciprocal treatment will be adopted and some communities will see a drastic fall in numbers as a result of the actions taken by their government.

Kuwait is battling with an unprecedented health crises that has brought the country to a standstill as in many parts of the world. The large migrant labour force in the country has added to its woes due to its inability to bring into control the local spread of the virus.

The source told Al Rai that a coordinated effort is being made by all the Gulf countries who have large undocumented migrant labour to send them back but the host countries have refused to receive them as yet. All the Gulf countries are facing enormous pressure on their health systems that can jeopardise the treatment to their own citizens.

UAE media recently reported that among the options GCC states had was to impose strict future restrictions on the recruitment of workers from these countries and activating the quota” system in recruitment operations. The options also include suspending memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the ministry and concerned authorities from those countries.