The Government of Kuwait, through its Ministry of Interior, has announced a ban on the recruitment of domestic workers from Kenya and 26 other countries.
According to reports by Gulf News, the directive was issued following recommendations from Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and the Public Authority for Manpower.
Countries affected by the ban include Kenya, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Madagascar, Uganda, Nigeria, Togo, Malawi, Chad, Djibouti, and Niger.
However, Kuwait has approved the recruitment of male domestic workers from South Africa, Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Nepal, and Senegal.
The new regulations also impose restrictions on the recruitment of female domestic workers from certain countries, while the hiring of male workers has been permitted more broadly.
Authorities say the move is part of Kuwait’s ongoing efforts to strengthen regulation and oversight of the domestic labour sector through revised procedures and tighter controls.
The measures are expected to enhance monitoring of recruitment practices and improve management of the workforce sector.