Kuwait City: The head of Kuwait National Assembly’s manpower development committee MP Khalil Al Saleh on Tuesday criticised the government for failing to provide its vision on reducing the number of expats in the country. He said that the committee had given the government ample time to submit its ideas on the issue, but the concerned government authorities failed to provide anything so far.
The lawmaker said the committee therefore decided to proceed with its legislation and will send a report to the Assembly on ways to reduce the number of expats in Kuwait. The committee has been assigned to study various draft laws submitted by MPs proposing solutions to cut the number of expats, who number 3.35 million and form 70 per cent of the country's population, Kuwait Times reports.
Saleh had previously said he believes Kuwait can reduce up to one million expats within three months, mainly by replacing expats in government jobs and deporting some 500,000 low-paid workers. The panel is expected to review a draft law calling to introduce certain percentages for foreign communities in Kuwait, proposing the largest community – Indians – should not exceed 15pc of Kuwaiti citizens. The bill also proposes that Egyptians, Bangladeshis and Filipinos among others must not each exceed 10pc of Kuwaitis. This would require deporting around 2.5 million expats.
Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al Ghanem has said it is not possible to introduce the quota system at present, adding that he and other MPs plan to submit a new draft law aimed at binding the government to gradually reduce the number of expats.
Interior Minister Anas Al Saleh also said that the ministry has completed proposed wide-scale amendments to the residency law to facilitate reducing the number of expats. He said the draft law will be sent to the Assembly within two weeks.