Kuwait reinstates ban on recruiting Bangladeshi workers: Media

Kuwait has revived a ban on recruiting Bangladeshis, according to the Middle Eastern media.

Interior Minister Shaikh Khalid Al Jarrah has ordered the ban and asked the interior ministry to apply it, Kuwaiti daily Al Jareeda reported on Monday, citing a security source.

The Gulf News said the decision came in the wake of irregularities and abuses by traffickers in work and residency permits for Bangladeshis, whose numbers have increased remarkably following the recent lifting of the ban.

Labour Counsellor Abdul Latif Khan at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Kuwait told bdnews24.com they had no information on the decision.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam is now in Kuwait on an official visit.

Citing figures obtained from Bangladesh’ Bureau of Manpower, the Gulf News said Kuwait started hiring Bangladeshi workers in the mid-1970s. Until 2007, nearly 480,000 workers were recruited.

However, in 2007, Kuwait stopped recruiting Bangladeshis over employment irregularities and involvement in illegal activities, according to the Gulf News report.

In 2014, the ban was removed, but two years later, in 2016, Kuwait banned recruiting male house helps following security reports on irregularities.

It then slapped several conditions, including that “each Kuwaiti citizen can bring only one male helper and must not already have one from the same nationality”.

The number of Bangladeshis in Kuwait in 2016 was 200,000, the Gulf News said adding foreigners make up two thirds of Kuwait’s total population of 4.5 million with Indians being the largest expatriate community.