Below an article written by Talal Al Ghannam, a Managing Editor at Kuwait News Agency (KUNA),and a columnist at Kuwaitimes Mr. Talal articles mostly tackles about the plights of expatriates living and working in this small yet rich country – the State of Kuwait.
Good morning dear readers and I wish you all a happy new year full of joy and happiness. In this article, I would like to speak about the random rules issued by the various government’s institutions which are imposed suddenly without a thorough study.
It is known that any new regulation or law must be preceded by at least 3-6 months of campaigning, surveys and most importantly media awareness to let those targeted to become acquainted with the new regulations ahead of time. In this case, those targeted will spare themselves from paying fines or avoid unwanted troubles for themselves or to their family members. One of the new rules that has been implemented in Kuwait concerns renewal of visas of expatriates and linked that with the expiry of the passport. The decision was really a shock to our dear brothers and sisters who are here to earn a decent living. My point is that such decision was imposed without a prior notice and deprived the expat of contesting it. At least one month of media awareness should have preceded the issuance of this decision to make people aware of its negative impacts.
Another issue concerns the domestic workers from India, a matter that has created chaos in Kuwait between the Indian Embassy with the government as the Embassy wanted to secure interest of its nationals by imposing some sort of insurance or a deposit in case the employer fails to treat the worker inhumanely. This decision in my opinion is strictly the right of the Government of India as they believe that this is the only solution to guarantee the right of the Indian national as there were so many cases of expats whose rights have been neglected or revoked. I tell the employers here who contest this decision is that:”Why are you afraid of paying such fees if you believe what you are doing is correct?”. If there is any doubt that the worker might be mistreated, in this case, the employer would feel angry towards the Embassy because he or she wants it “Easy come easy go”. I think the decision is very good to protect the right of those workers who many of them are deprived their rights to salary, rest and good treatment.
This gesture by the Embassy might be only the beginning as more embassies might follow suit in a bid to protect the rights of their nationals who are precious to them. Those workers who have left everything behind in their own countries and decided to come here to make a decent living for their kids, parents and for building the house of their dreams, and end up with broken promises.
A lot of them thought that the doors of heaven would open up for them once they reach Kuwait and within a two-year-period their dreams would be fulfilled for their kids at schools, university, their cancer patients, their elderly fathers and mothers.
They come here and end up in a prison-like house with strict rules such as (No mobile, no day off, no going out, no salary for 3 months, no smiling, no laughing but work work work).
And after that we expect them to give us what we dream of of. As we have dreams to fulfill in terms of raising children, caring for the house, cooking etc, they as well have dreams to fulfill such as caring for their babies at home, elderly fathers and mothers whom are left along and anxiously awaiting every dinar to be sent from their sons and daughters to eat well, drink well, be treated well and so on.
The government is ought to revise its policy of issuing decisions that contradicts with the international rules and regulations and not to take quick and random decisions pertinent to expatriates.
Do not blame everything on them, they have enough to worry about back home and with their sponsors most of whom enjoy yelling and insulting for no reason.
Till the next article Insha Allah
Thanks to Sir Tala Alghannam for letting me to re-post this on my site 🙂
