KUWAIT CITY, Aug 13: The ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior have decided not to grant visas to Ethiopian maids without the approval and authorization of the Ethiopian Embassy in Kuwait, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.

Sources say more than 10,000 Ethiopian maids have entered Kuwait without the knowledge of the embassy and without proper contracts. The number of Ethiopian maids in Kuwait is said to be over 30,000, excluding the non-registered ones who cause various problems, note sources.

The objective of the ministries’ move is to secure the rights of these maids and they have also advised Kuwaitis to recruit maids through official channels. Nearly 300 maid recruitment firms are approved by the embassy.