Kuwait is waking up to the menace of human trafficking that has been pervasive for the past three decades leading to the exploitation of migrant labour as a result. The coronavirus pandemic has opened the eyes of the government to take immediate and drastic steps to stop this menace once and for all.
In a major shift from the past the government last week arrested 28 Kuwaitis for visa trading pending investigation, for their involvement in human trafficking and bringing large labor from different countries. The Kuwaitis exchanged money for visas, as well as renewing residencies without ensuring the person had the specific job.
The Ministry of the Interior has given 6 reports to the prosecution including the names of citizens and expatriates working for fake companies that recruited expatriates for sums of money to the tune of KD 1500 without providing any work for them. The prosecution ordered detectives, to arrest the expatriate partners of the owners of the companies.
On the other hand, the prosecution decided to continue the detention of an officer with the rank of colonel in the Ministry of Interior and his six Egyptian partners, for their involvement in human trafficking and bringing workers from Egypt in exchange for money.
As part of its endeavor to improve transparency and stop the menace a number of public benefit societies launched a campaign “I am responsible” to fight residency dealers, calling on citizens and residents who have information about the crime of residency trade to exercise their national role and the initiative to report the crime, Al Rai reported
In a statement at the launch of the campaign they said it is borne out the belief in their responsibility as civil society organizations on the actions of all state institutions, which aim to achieve the interests of society and care for the rights of its members through a serious endeavor to provide the foundations of justice and fulfill the requirements of social, economic and health development and sustainability.
They pointed out that the campaign comes in pursuit of the pillars of good governance by promoting the values of integrity, transparency, accountability and respect for the law, and from its national role in fighting residency dealers who practice the crime of human trafficking that is internationally prohibited and that offends the reputation of Kuwait, the country of humanity, a crime that greatly hindered the efforts of the ministry of health to reduce the spread of “Covid-19”, and caused a major imbalance in the demographics for 3 decades.
They mentioned that the residency trade has produced many security, social and economic problems in the labor market, pointing out that the campaign comes as confirmation of the responsibility of the community associations in tackling the crime of corruption, which includes the crime of human trafficking, bribery, exploitation of influence and graft.
The launch of the campaign comes from 10 public benefit societies, with the aim of mobilizing national and popular efforts in this exceptional circumstance to encourage citizens and residents to report residency dealers, with the aim of laying the foundations of justice and the rule of law and pressure on officials to make a historic decision in eliminating a long-running corruption crime that affects the people and causes an imbalance in the demographics.
The launch of the campaign also comes in the context of urging the development of existing legislation which would guarantee the rights of workers and employers, in accordance with constitutional and humanitarian principles and international treaties.
The ten associations participating in this campaign called on citizens and residents who have information about crimes related to residence permits to exercise their national role and the initiative in reporting this crime through the campaign’s legal committee, and to provide documents and information related to the crime. They noted that the Legal Committee will provide appropriate legal guidance and support, as well satisfactory communications with the judicial authorities and follow up.
