Difficult to ‘do’ many jobs without expats: Al-Ghanim – ‘Restructuring population report baseless’

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KUWAIT CITY, June 2: The population of Kuwait reached 4,183,658 by the middle of 2015 and it increased to 4,239,006 by end of December in the same year, according to the recent statistics released by the Public Authority of Civil Information (PACI). With the announcement made by Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and State Minister for Development and Planning Hind Al-Sabeeh on setting the quota for every nationality residing in the country, the statistics revealed that the number of Asians in Kuwait reached 1,658,208.

According to the report, the number of Asians has exceeded that of citizens who, by the end of December 2015, totaled 1,307,605; whereas the number of Arab nationals reached 1,177,539. The number of Africans reached 56,084 while those from South America totaled 20,387; 18,898 from Europe; 1,661 from Australia and 1,624 from North America.

Meanwhile, the population of Kuwaitis increased by 16,204 within six months and their number by middle of 2015 reached 1,291,401. Concerning the increase in the number of expatriates, the statistics showed that expatriates in Kuwait increased by 39,144 within six months, as their number in the middle of 2015 totaled 2,892,257 and by the end of December of the same year, their total number reached 2,931,401.

Commenting on the statistics, labor rights activist and former Chairperson of the Foreign Manpower Bureau in Kuwait Labor Union AbdulRahman Al-Ghanim said the increase of foreign manpower by 39,144 within six months — from mid- 2015 until the end of the same year — proved that it is currently difficult for Kuwait to carry on without many jobs which are usually occupied by foreigners.

He said, “For instance, jobs like house painters or construction workers cannot be occupied by Kuwaitis. Therefore, the statement made by the minister of social affairs and labor on restructuring the population is baseless. The best way to address the issue is to put the expatriates to be under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.”

By Najeh Bilal Al-Seyassah Staff

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