KUWAIT CITY, Nov 30: MP Dr Salwa Al-Jassar has presented a draft bill on addressing the issues related to absconding domestic workers, including tough penalties for those who hide these workers.
In her proposal, Al-Jassar explained many ministerial decisions had earlier been issued to solve the problem, such as the Interior Ministry’s decision number 640/1987, which covers those who escape from their sponsors and those who work under other sponsors. She believes this is the root of several problems, such as the high number of marginal or unskilled workers, rising crime rate, prevalence of fraud and lopsided demographic structure. She stressed the need to take harsher measures to eliminate this negative phenomenon.

Al-Jassar said the Ministry of Interior must take the necessary steps to solve the problems of absconding and missing domestic workers like housemaids and drivers, as well as those who work for other sponsors. She recommended tougher penalties for those who hide or employ absconding domestic workers. She added once the absconding workers are arrested, those who hid them will bear the deportation expenses. She clarified the sponsors will not be obliged to shoulder the travel expenses of the absconding workers if they filed a case against the workers.

Penalties
On the penalties and fines, Al-Jassar proposed a fine of KD500 or any other punishment for sponsors who fail to inform the concerned authorities about the absconding workers. Those who hide absconding workers will also be fined KD500, half of which will be given to the concerned sponsors as compensation only if they filed an absconding report on the workers. Those who accommodate absconding workers will also be banned from hiring or sponsoring workers for one year. The institutions or companies that employ absconding workers will be fined not less than KD5,000; KD250 will be paid to the concerned sponsors if they filed an absconding report and the remaining amount will be given to the official bodies.

On the deportation expenses, Al-Jassar said the State should bear the costs for the repatriation of expatriate workers in other situations, while the sponsors will shoulder the travel expenses of the domestic workers if they terminate the workers.

In another development, MP Dr Rola Dashti has proposed the formation of an investigative committee to probe into the multimillion deposit scandal. She said the committee, which should include MPs Adel Al-Saraawi and Dr Hassan Jowhar, will look into the accounts of MPs in local and foreign banks to uncover anomalies. She explained the MPs must give the committee permission to scrutinize their accounts, adding the panel will submit its report to the Parliament within four months after its formation.