Kuwait Times:
Expatriates who run their own businesses in Kuwait, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, tanker drivers, barbers, butchers and mechanics, will be granted self-sponsorships, and will no longer need to be affiliated to a Kuwaiti sponsor or ‘kafil’.
The new step is part of the measures to be implemented by government aimed at finding proper alternatives to the sponsorship system, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Mohammad Al-Kandari said at a press conference after a meeting with representatives of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
Kuwait has been subjected to pressure by some international human rights organizations over the existing sponsorship system. A new labor law that provides expats with more benefits is expected to be passed by the National Assembly during the upcoming legislative term. Senior officials had earlier indicated that the government is seriously mulling the idea of establishing a state commission for expats to replace the sponsorship system, which has been already abolished in neighboring Bahrain.
Recent press reports quoted ILO officials as saying that Kuwait is at risk of facing sanctions if it does not find proper substitutes for the system. However, Al-Kandari refuted such reports, adding that Kuwait will always remain in full compliance with international labor regulations.
Nada Al-Nashif, regional manager of the ILO, also ruled out the possibility of imposing sanctions against the country, adding that Kuwait was one of the first countries to seek the ILO’s help for finding a new labor system to replace the current sponsorship system.
In August this year, Kuwait approved a move to modify the sponsorship laws in the country, by allowing expatriates to transfer jobs without approval from their sponsor. The only condition is that the person should spend three years with the same sponsor.
The new step is part of the measures to be implemented by government aimed at finding proper alternatives to the sponsorship system, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Mohammad Al-Kandari said at a press conference after a meeting with representatives of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
Kuwait has been subjected to pressure by some international human rights organizations over the existing sponsorship system. A new labor law that provides expats with more benefits is expected to be passed by the National Assembly during the upcoming legislative term. Senior officials had earlier indicated that the government is seriously mulling the idea of establishing a state commission for expats to replace the sponsorship system, which has been already abolished in neighboring Bahrain.
Recent press reports quoted ILO officials as saying that Kuwait is at risk of facing sanctions if it does not find proper substitutes for the system. However, Al-Kandari refuted such reports, adding that Kuwait will always remain in full compliance with international labor regulations.
Nada Al-Nashif, regional manager of the ILO, also ruled out the possibility of imposing sanctions against the country, adding that Kuwait was one of the first countries to seek the ILO’s help for finding a new labor system to replace the current sponsorship system.
In August this year, Kuwait approved a move to modify the sponsorship laws in the country, by allowing expatriates to transfer jobs without approval from their sponsor. The only condition is that the person should spend three years with the same sponsor.
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