Kuwaitis with small debts between KD100 and KD 200 will not have to face travel bans or have arrest warrants issued against them, ruled the Sentences Enforcement General Department of the Ministry of Justice.
Judges at the department pointed out that there was no sustainable reason to impose a travel ban on a Kuwaiti for owning such small sums to companies, as the individuals are unlikely to abscond from the country for such a small amount. Moreover, the judges added, such travel bans bring undue embarrassment to many families as they are stopped at the airport and their travel plans are disrupted.
Another reason for removing the travel ban was that creditor companies often do not provide evidence that the Kuwaiti debtor has neglected the responsibility to pay the debt despite having the ability to do so.
In addition, as the travel ban and the search and arrest warrant impose restrictions on the freedom of individuals and freedom of movement that goes against the personal freedom promised to every Kuwait, the law for such restrictive measures can only be applied in an exceptional way and for severe cases.
