Domestic workers cost rises; Kuwaiti families in quandary

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KUWAIT CITY, April 23: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season of the month of Ramadan was a headache for Kuwaiti families due to the shortage of domestic workers and presence of excess work during the holy month. The pandemic then came, increasing the suffering and becoming a real concern for the Kuwaiti households with the spread of a disturbing and illegal phenomenon, which is “temporary domestic workers”, most of whom are violators of law and runaways from the homes of their sponsors, reports Al-Rai daily.

Perhaps what increased the burden for Kuwaiti housewives is the high cost of recruiting a domestic worker. It reaches up to KD 1,200, despite the decisions that set it at a limit of KD 900. This was blamed on recruitment agencies and their exaggeration in costs, in addition to other reasons that made a permanent domestic worker a rare commodity.

Some owners of domestic labor recruitment offices attribute this phenomenon to three main reasons:-
1. The lack of strictness in implementing the law that penalizes sponsors who harbor fugitive workers

2. Not being strict with the landlords who rent their houses to groups of domestic workers, something that falls under the category of “hiding a fugitive”

3. Impossible conditions placed on expatriate families to recruit domestic workers, forcing them to seek help from temporary workers who have absconded from their sponsors.

The owners of recruitment offices asked, “Who will guarantee the right of the sponsors in the event that their domestic workers flee out of hope for a greater financial return when they work as freelance domestic workers? Does the family that receives a temporary worker ask for her identity to verify her legal status?”

Some of them highlighted a factor that may be overlooked by many, which is the domestic labor market in neighboring countries, something that has been developed for the benefit of the citizens of those countries. They explained that some Gulf countries allow people of any nationality to enter their country through their international airport and stay for a period of three months, during which they can transfer their visa to any sponsor if they find work in the country. Hence, some domestic workers resort to using this facility to work as domestic workers there.

This is something that their countries were aware of and took necessary measures to prevent the travel of workers unless they have a commercial record. Because of this, some of them play a game of deceit by coming to Kuwait first, refusing to continue working upon arrival or after several months, and then requesting to return to their country immediately or upon the completion of the term of their contract. If approved, they request to travel through specific Gulf countries and may agree to bear the ticket costs to reach their destination by going to those countries and finding work there.

This news has been read 29438 times!