COVID-19: Kuwait government urged to end travel ban
Has been in place since February 7 and is in effect until further notice
Kuwait City: Given that the travel ban on expats has been in place for over four months, several prominent figures in Kuwait, including an MP, have spoken out on the injustice of the continued ban.
MP Thamer Al Suwait stated, “It is not permissible under a moral viewpoint, or law to prevent them from travelling to their countries according to the procedures followed for citizens. There are families and people who have been cut off from their families for more than a year, and this is a responsibility by the government and cannot be accepted.”
Dr. Mohammed Jamal, a Kuwaiti consultant surgeon, said in a Tweet, “an expat does not spread the epidemic in a different way than a citizen. As for the coronavirus, humans are equal: So, let us treat the expatriate and the citizen equally in allowing them to travel. What applies to a citizen when travelling, shall apply to the expats?”
On social media, several people have called on ending the ban and questioning the reason behind the continued ban.
“The issue of residents must be resolved, and attention should be paid to this group, as they are also human beings who have family and loved ones who have been cut off from them for more than a year. There are families separated, children separated from their parents, parents who died without saying goodbye,” Dalaa Al Moufti, a writer, said on Twitter.
The backlash comes after the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced that citizens that have been vaccinated are exempt from quarantine upon their arrival to Kuwait.
No end in sight
Since February 7, non-Kuwaitis have been banned from travelling to Kuwait. The ban is still in place despite the fact that the health situation is improving in Kuwait.
Many expats have been stuck abroad for months now, unable to return to Kuwait, while others are worried about travelling, unsure of when they will be able to return.
With no signs that the travel ban will be lifted, many expats have decided to travel back home to their countries as financial constraints restrict their ability to stay in the Gulf country.