Kuwait to end sponsorship system for foreign workers

The Kuwaiti government announced it will be scrapping the sponsorship system for foreign workers in February next year, becoming the second Middle Eastern country to end what has been described as “modern slavery." An article on the Kuwait-based Arab Times Online quoted Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Mohammed al-Afasi as saying that the system, locally called kafeel, will be abolished to give way to the creation of a public authority for the recruitment of workers. “This will be our gift to foreign workers on the anniversary of Kuwait’s liberation" from seven months of Iraqi occupation in 1991, the minister said in the article. The kafeel system requires Kuwaiti employers to sponsor foreign workers, making the latter vulnerable to abuse. Foreign workers can only look for new jobs without prior approval from their sponsors after three years of service. Kuwait will become the second Gulf Country to scrap the system. In 2009, Bahrain abolished the scheme which it likened to “modern-day slavery." International human rights groups have also criticized the policy. Migrant group welcomes move A Filipino migrant advocacy group welcomed the declaration, saying it an indication that Kuwait is geared towards respecting the rights and well-being of expatriate workers there. “We are glad to hear that Kuwait recognizes the need to abolish the sponsorship system, as it would provide more freedom for expatriate workers in terms of travel and the opportunity to change and look for a better job within Kuwait," said Migrante-Middle East coordinator John Leonard Monterona. He said the system has resulted in various cases of abuse by employers of migrant workers, including Filipinos. “(The system is the reason) why we often encounter cases where migrant workers were not allowed to go on vacation even after completing their 2-year contract, for example," he explained. He added that Migrante is supporting other lobby groups in the Gulf States, such as the National Society for Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, which have been calling for the abolition of the sponsorship system in other Middle Eastern countries. Revised labor code The Arab Times article said there are around 2.3 million foreign workers in Kuwait. Philippine government records show that as of 2008, there are about 146,000 Filipinos in the Middle Eastern country, while some 46,000 Filipino workers were deployed there last week. The Kuwaiti parliament passed a new labor law in December last year granting more labor rights and better working conditions for foreigners, replacing a 45-year-old labor code which had been criticized as being largely in favor of employers. The new legislation provides improved benefits including better annual leave, end of service indemnities, and holidays. It also sets tougher penalties, including jail terms, for employers who trade in visas or recruit expatriate workers but fail to provide them with jobs, or who fail to pay salaries regularly. The bill further requires a nationally implemented minimum wage for certain jobs, especially for the lower-paid categories. - TJD/YA, GMANews.TV