190,000 expats enter Kuwait in two months despite government's effort to redress demographic imbalance

Cairo: As many as 190,000 expatriates have entered Kuwait in the past two months despite government pledges to stem the foreign workers’ flow and redress the demographic policy in the country, a prominent Kuwaiti lawmaker has said.

Foreigners make up nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait’s 4.8 million population.

“Why? For what reason? And what are their jobs? Only Allah and they know,” MP Safa Al Hashem said in a series of tweets.

In recent months, there have been increasing calls in Kuwait for curbing foreigners’ employment amid accusations that migrant workers have strained the country’s infrastructure facilities.

“It is unfair that a country boasting a lot of rich potential and promising opportunities, but all its services have become dilapidated,” Al Hashem added.

She called for imposing fees on expatriates including high charges on water, electricity, road, health and education services.

The lawmaker also proposed levying fees on expatriates’ remittances, saying they hit 19 billion dollars last year.