Unlicensed domestic workers cost Kuwait millions, strain agencies
The negative effects of unlicensed domestic workers are numerous, posing health risks to families and economic burdens, with some earning as little as 280 dinars per month.
• Musaed Al-Hajri, head of the Domestic Labor Disputes Department at the Public Authority for Manpower, warned that unlicensed domestic labor harms families and costs the state, while licensed workers support the economy through regulated fees, employer provisions, and associated revenues.
• Bassam Al-Shammari, a domestic labor agency owner, calls for legal reopening of recruitment from all countries through new memoranda of understanding, with a minimum wage set at 120 dinars.
• Munir Al-Asimi, a domestic labor agency owner, warned that illegal gangs posing as agencies operate without licenses, using social media ads and smuggling workers.
Unlicensed domestic workers remain a major challenge for licensed agencies, causing economic losses and depriving the state of revenues from medical exams, residency renewals, flight operations, and other indirect sources, Al Rai newspaper reported.
The negative effects of unlicensed domestic workers are numerous, posing health risks to families and economic burdens, with some earning as little as 280 dinars per month.
Musaed Al-Hajri, head of the Domestic Labor Disputes Department at the Public Authority for Manpower, highlighted the dangers of unlicensed labor, its impact on families, and the financial losses it causes the state.
Speaking to Kuwait TV, Al-Hajri explained that official recruitment offices operate under licenses renewed annually for a state fee, while families hiring unlicensed workers face higher costs and lack legal protections. He noted that licensed domestic workers contribute to the local economy, as employers provide for their food and clothing while also generating revenue through air travel, medical exams, and residency transfer fees.
Munir Al-Asimi, a domestic labor agency owner, told the newspaper that illegal gangs posing as agencies operate without offices or licenses, relying on social media ads and smuggling workers from their original sponsors’ homes, offering them under-the-table salaries of 250 to 280 dinars per month.
Al-Assimi warned that “these workers may carry contagious diseases or have criminal records, posing a risk to citizens and residents.”
Bassam Al-Shammari, a domestic labor agency owner, urged via the newspaper for “the official and legal reopening of recruitment from all countries through new memoranda of understanding, with a minimum wage set at 120 dinars.”
