Cairo: As Kuwait is poised to scrap a disputed ban on renewing work permits for expatriates above 60, related regulations are likely to make health insurance mandatory for this category of labour, according to a media report.
Last month, the Kuwaiti Legal Advice and Legislation Department invalidated the ban on employing expatriates above 60 who hold no university degree, saying it had no legal basis.
The department, a Cabinet affiliate, added that the ban had been issued by the Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) director-general without authorisation.
Al Rai newspaper, citing unidentified sources, reported that a plan is expected to be adopted making health insurance mandatory for all expatriates above 60 regardless of their education qualifications with the aim of curtailing financial burdens on the country’s government health sector.
Kuwaiti Minister of Trade and Industry Abdullah Al Salman has requested that an advisor from the Legal Advise and Legislation Department attends an upcoming meeting of the PAM board that is anticipated to officially agree to scrap the ban, the sources said.
The PAM will issue a new decree likely to stipulate renewal of work permits for expatriates above 60 in return for paying the normal fees plus insurance health documents issued by local insurance firms in line with a proposal espoused by Minister Al Salman with a view to easing financial and logistical pressure on the country’s health sector.
Around 4,013 such expatriates have been forced out of the work market in Kuwait in the first six months of enforcing the decision, Al Qabas newspaper reported recently. The ban, which went into effect earlier this year, triggered an outcry among rights activists, who argued that it affects thousands of expatriates and their families who long lived in Kuwait.
Critics also said the restriction has also caused damage to many employers and destabilised the labour market, robbing it of experienced workers. The ban was seen as an attempt to reduce numbers of migrant workers who account for majority of Kuwait’s population.
In July, the PAM issued another decision allowing expatriates above the age of 60 to renew their residency permits in return for paying annual fees of KD2,000. This move also sparked an outcry and unleashed a campaign by activists demanding cancellation of the restrictions.
Expatriates, who hold no university degree, are estimated at over 80,000 in Kuwait. Foreigners make up nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait’s total population of 4.6 million. The country has in recent months sought to redress its demographic imbalance amid fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
