The number of domestic workers working in Kuwait increased from 583,000 at the end of 2021 to 811,000 as of last October, despite the ban imposed on the recruitment of Filipino workers since last February, and the direct recruitment of domestic workers was limited only to India and Sri Lanka.

Labor statistics revealed an increase in the number of domestic workers coming from India by about 30 percent over last year, reaching about 361,000 as of last October, of whom only 28.7 percent were female, and the rest were men.

The statistics recorded a significant decrease in the number of domestic workers recruited from Sri Lanka, from 79,000 in 2022 to only 48.2 thousand in 2023, with an average of about 4,800 entering Kuwait monthly, of which female workers constitute more than 90 percent.

As for Filipino female workers, despite the ban on their recruitment, they still make the bulk of domestic workers, as their number in 2023 reached about 99.4 percent of the 201,000 Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait.

Bassam Al-Shammari, a specialist in domestic worker affairs, explained to Al-Rai that the increase in the number of domestic workers in general is due to the increasing demand for them, after the establishment of many new housing cities in Kuwait.

Al-Shammari stressed that the increased awareness of both the sponsor and the worker about the rights and duties of both parties, and the change in treatment with the domestic worker, is clearly evident in the low percentage of cases of escape from homes, and the lack of labor disputes.

Numbers of domestic workers as of last October

– India: 371,222 workers (71.3 percent male – 28.7 percent female)

– Philippines: 201,110 workers (0.6 percent male – 99.4 percent female)

– Sri Lanka: 103,685 workers ( 20.6 percent males – 79.4 percent females)

– Bangladesh: 85,989 workers (99 percent males – 1 percent females)

– Nepal: 25,540 workers (4.7 percent males – 95.3 percent females)

– Ethiopia: 11 One thousand and 684 workers (8.2 percent males – 91.8 percent females)

– Other nationalities: 11 thousand and 616 workers (59.1 percent males – 40.9 percent females)

Bassam Al-Shammari presented four proposals through Al-Rai that could contribute to solving employment problems, which are:

1 – That there be equality for holders of Article 20 regarding reports of absence under Article 18, and that the report be submitted on the date of absence and not be activated until after 60 days, as this procedure contributes to addressing 80 percent of labor problems and issues, and embarrassment over malicious reports that the majority of domestic workers in embassies suffer from, due to the difficulty of filing an absence report.

2 – Activating the role of the shelter center affiliated with the Public Authority for Manpower, and coordinating with the embassies of countries exporting domestic workers.

3 – Accelerating the end of labor disputes, and quickly restoring workers’ rights in disputes through amicable solutions.

4 – Seeking help from recruitment offices to resolve any dispute between the worker and the sponsor may reduce about 30 percent of cases.

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