Expatriates in Kuwait - Essay Example

Expatriates in Kuwait The situation in Kuwait is quite interesting as far as expatriates are concerned. Every nation around the world has sovereign right to reduce the number of foreign workers in their countries. In other words every country wants to reduce the number of foreign workers for the sake of job creation of their own countrymen. Over the years, Kuwait has faced this issue. It has been noticed that people from different parts of the world are coming for different jobs in Kuwait. Foreign people are staying for a very long time. The economy of the country is on the steep rising curve. This is a very significant reason for which expats are crowding in Kuwait. Oil is the main source of the country’s GDP. Almost 50% of the total GDP is contributed by oil. Oil accounts for more than 90% of total revenue of the economy. Therefore expats are expected to find jobs in the oil sector. The present political situation in Kuwait can be called as a constitutional monarchy which can cause a threat for the expats. The purpose of the speech is to show the listeners that the present situation in Kuwait for the expats is not good as it was previously. The majority of the foreign workers are generally attracted by the huge potential of the oil industry in Kuwait. Apart from the oil industry other different sectors like sales, marketing, and jewelry industry is also booming and attracting many expats from different parts of the world. Different local companies and multinational companies are recruiting expats. In spite of being an attractive destination for finding jobs, recent trends are saying that numbers of expatriates are decreasing in the country. Kuwaiti Government has taken a serious initiative for reducing numbers of expats from the country. Young citizens of Kuwait are getting very good educations and increasing education qualities are positioning local people in to top level management of different organizations. Government of Kuwait has taken the initiative in a very strict manner. Current situations of expats in the country are like a horror movie. Deputy Director of General Public authority has issued a notice giving direction to the labor department that to issue of work permits for expats have to be done very selectively. In the current situation different employers are warned very seriously not to recruit marginal workers from foreign countries. It is often being noticed that different organizations in the country recruit expats for the sake of supplying them to other employers. Government of Kuwait is imposing strict ban on this system. Social Affairs ministry and Labor department have imposed a ban on the recruitment of some specific professions from foreign countries. They also advised employers to hire employees from the local market i.e. Kuwait. This time the Government of Kuwait is so strict that it will provide only three months to single person and will give Six months time to family persons to vacate their country. Naufal and Ismail observed that Indians and Filipinos are occupying large position of total expatriates who are going to be deported from Kuwait. According to different sources embassies of these two countries are not very much sincere for taking back their citizens into their countries. Top-level managements of different organizations in the country has categorically stated that expats should not violet social security as well as healthy atmosphere of Kuwait. Different senior officials of different organizations urged to foreigners to maintain all Kuwaiti rules and regulations very strictly. All different organizations employing foreign work forces are taking very conservative steps regarding their foreign recruitments. People from different countries like India and Philippines come to Kuwait for better lives and jobs. This trend is badly affecting local employment generation. The Government of Kuwait is taking very strict measures to reduce this trend (Naufal and Ismail 145). Government of Kuwait Continues to crack down to different illegal immigrants. These processes are sometimes affecting legal immigrants also. Recently in different parts of the country police has taken very strange action against Asian expatriates like unreasonable interrogation in the police station. Recent statistics are showing that almost 1,474 expatriates are deported from the country in the past two years. Among them almost 1,293 were men and were181 women. Reports are saying that 390 people were departed due to drug related offences. 326 people were deported for the reason of theft. 230 people were sent back for doing illegal liquor business. Fraudulent activities caused deportation of 182people. For rape offence 142 people were deported. In the case of adultery 99 people were caught and deported from the country. Previously security forces temporarily suspended their security activities against resident law violators from foreign countries. The reason for this temporary stoppage was all the jails and deportation centers were occupied with large numbers of illegal immigrants. There were no places for keeping fresh offenders. One more reason for the temporary stoppage was restriction in administrative deportation. Apart from these two reasons there are others reason also for stopping security raids against illegal immigrants. It is very costly for Kuwaiti Government to send all offenders to their home country. Embassies of other countries are not very sincere and cooperative at all to take back their citizens into their countries. The Government of Kuwait was very much concerned with a possible revolt in highly crowded jails. Possible spreading of infectious diseases in jails was also a critical reason for the temporary suspension of security crack downs. Member of Kuwaiti parliament Hamdan Al- Azmi has categorically asked for some serious transformation in case of recruitment in Kuwaiti public sector organization. According to MP, there are 126,000 expatriates are working in Kuwait public sector companies. On the other hand 20,000 Kuwaitis registered themselves with country’s Civil Service Commission and they are still jobless. This situation is being taken as a serious negligence from the side of Kuwaiti Government. These kinds of situations are raising anger in the minds of local people. The country is facing increasing local unemployment rate in each year. It is a serious problem for the nation. Legislative and Legal Committee of Kuwaiti parliament has rejected one proposal of fixing a residency cap of expats for five years. The bill was suggesting that people with lower educational background can stay in the country for five years. After that their visa will not be renewed.. But the bill was recjected stating it as an impractical and unconstitutional bill. Once upon a time Kuwait was a heaven for expatriates. That heaven has been transformed into a hell for foreign workforces. Previously the country was very much dependent on the foreign workers. Expats used to come for different jobs related with constructions and manufacturing and services. These inflows of foreign workers were very warmly taken in earlier years. The present scenario has been changed quite dramatically. Local people are getting very impatient and irritated by seeing that their jobs like management jobs are being snatched by foreigners. The country’s local employment generation is getting hampered. Over the years the Kuwaiti Government is trying different measures to control this situation The Government has achieved remarkable success in their efforts. In 2012 the Government of Kuwait was able to reduce 19% of expats from their country (Ramady 123). It is being noticed that in the name of controlling illegal immigrants often the Government is conducting very unreasonable and illogical activities with the lives of legal expats also. Every action has its own impacts. When the Government of Kuwait is intensifying their crack down activities it is directly impacting in different ways. The local businesses of Kuwait are under threat. In fear of a crackdown the people of Kuwait tends to avoid public places like markets, shopping malls and department stores. It has a very direct effect with business. Expat population even legal expatriates are also tensed for possible unwanted harassment by security forces. They are choosing to remain inside their houses. Many small and medium business houses are facing the problems of labor shortages. Expats labor are getting absent in their works for the fear of getting caught by security forces. Over all a fear psychosis is prevailing in the mind of expats. It is very clearly being noticed in different sections of Kuwaiti society. Kuwait is facing a dilemma of development and dependency. Historically the country have great dependency on foreign workforces. That dependency has compelled the nation to hire more and more workers from foreign countries. Foreign workforces over the years took the opportunity very gladly and flooded the country in legal and illegal ways. It affects country’s local employment condition. Recently in last few years the nation is focusing towards domestic developments. Domestic employment generation is one of the top most priorities of the Kuwaiti Government. For achieving this objective the Government is taking some strict measures. All these measures are not free from controversies at all. One side the Government has to generate jobs for Kuwaiti citizens on the other hand different sectors of the country are still very much dependent on foreign workers. It is a strange dilemma for the Government of Kuwait. Currently some expats may be legal or illegal are very much confused about their futures in the country. International communities are keeping a close eye on the whole matter. Works Cited Naufal, George. and Ismail Genc. Expats and the Labor Force: The Story of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 2012. Print. Ramady, Mohamed. The GCC Economies: Stepping Up To Future Challenges (Google eBook). New York: Springer. 2012. Print. Read More