Expats' issues left out of Kuwait poll campaigns

Kuwait City: Despite a myriad of issues and promises made by campaigning legislative candidates in Kuwait, expatriates who make up more than half of Kuwait's population have no mention in these plans.

Finding an alternative to the currently implemented sponsorship system is a priority in demands made by expatriates and also an urgent need according to a study conducted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), said expatriates.

Speaking to Gulf News, Turkish employee Lina Al Akel said she has given up hope of officials promising to put forth an alternative to the sponsorship ['Kafeel' in Arabic] system in Kuwait.

"Officials have been issuing statements for about two years for the possible elimination of the Kafeel system, but nothing sincere has been done," she said.

ILO's study advocates an amendment in labour laws in order to establish a new system which improves the relationship between workers and employees, as well as reducing the number of unemployed expatriates, which state-run news agency KUNA has earlier said has reached 12,000 in 2006.

However, KUNA also added that embassies in Kuwait affirm that actual figures are tenfold this number.

The study also clarified that among the flaws in the system are withholding employees passports and thus their freedom, delaying monthly payments of foreign employees and promising salaries which expatriates later discover are not fulfilled upon their arrival to Kuwait.

Meanwhile, Egyptian resident Nadia Riad expressed her disappointment about the inconsiderate attitude of officials regarding the limited income of expatriates in the face of increased living expenses. "Generally speaking, expatriates have a lower income rate than nationals which is normal. What is not normal is that authorities tackle problems of inflation and increasing living expenses as if citizens are the only ones to bear its brunt," she said.

The Kuwaiti government raised the salaries of all Kuwaiti employees in both public and private sectors last February by 120 Kuwaiti dinars [about Dh1,654], and expatriates working in the public sector got a raise of 50 Kuwaiti dinars [about Dh689].

Rather than finding a way to reduce the impact of inflation in Kuwait's economy as a whole, they raised the salaries of citizens and left expatriates to face their fate, she added.

British John Hogg pointed out that laws and rules should be executed equally and justly on all residents, regardless of their nationalities.

Referring to a recently issued statement by officials at the Interior Ministry affirming the deportation of expatriates who repeatedly commit traffic violations, Hogg denounced such extreme measures taken against expatriates "with the total absence of a relatively matching punishment for citizens."

Citing officials' statements that citizens who commit similar violations face the suspension of their licenses for four months or confiscation of their car plates for four months, Hogg concluded that "punishments should be similar in magnitude if not identical." Earlier, officials at the Ministry of Interior said the measures aim to combat a deterioration in traffic manners as a whole and do not just target expatriates, a high ranking official in the ministry told Gulf News.

Strict measures

Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic at the Ministry of Interior said that the number of life-threatening traffic violations has dramatically increased in Kuwait, adding that "strict measures taken by the ministry are a message delivered to both nationals and expatriates equally," he clarified.

On the other hand, a Kuwaiti citizen, Abdulrahman Al Shimmari said that expatriates' demands should be met since they are part of the community as a whole.

"We can't deny the essential role of expatriates in Kuwait's economy as they participate in both its public and private sectors. Therefore, Kuwait's stability in terms of its economy and security will not exist if expatriates' concerns are not met with care," he explained.

However, he added it is normal for legislative candidates to focus on citizens' demands during times of election since expatriates do not vote.

"Legislative candidates are now targeting the elector's sympathy and trust. This is very normal," he concluded.

Laila Ali is a journalist based in Kuwait.