Kuwait’s role hailed in combating crime of human trafficking

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 22: Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) Dr. Mubarak Al-Azmi revealed that Ethiopia is again reviewing the labor agreement for the recruitment of domestic workers, reports Al- Qabas daily. In a press statement, Al- Azmi explained that Kuwait had agreed in advance with the Ethiopian side on a draft agreement, but after the team on their side to follow up the agreement changed, more time was requested for review and study.

The Kuwaiti and Ethiopian sides had agreed on the final form of the agreement, and the final signing procedures are currently underway. Dr. Al-Azmi revealed that Kuwait is on the verge of dealing with a series of labor agreements for the recruitment of domestic workers from countries such as Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Benin. He highlighted Kuwait’s keenness to organize the process of bringing workers into the country, starting with the requirement for the presence of a diplomatic mission representing workers in the country and an agreement that regulates the recruitment process.

Framework
Dr. Al-Azmi indicated the existence of a framework and a draft for rules and conditions, as negotiations are launched after obtaining the approval of the Council of Ministers with the country that sends workers. In a similar context, Brian Marcus, the Deputy Director of the Office of Monitoring and Combating Trafficking in Persons at the US State Department, praised Kuwait’s role in combating the crime of human trafficking and taking the necessary measures to prevent it and limit its spread.

This came in a statement issued after his visit to the Expatriate Labor Shelter Center of PAM with the aim of getting acquainted with the mechanism of the center’s work and reviewing the measures taken to reduce the risk of the crime of human trafficking. Marcus commended Kuwait’s efforts in all its departments and sectors to prevent the crime of human trafficking, and expressed his appreciation to the Expatriate Labor Shelter Center and its clear efforts on this issue.

Meanwhile, PAM announced that it suspended 20 licenses of domestic labor recruitment offices in October. According to statistics issued by the Domestic Labor Department on Tuesday, PAM had referred 191 labor complaints to the judiciary, and liquidated a partial guarantee for one of the offices for the benefit of the beneficiaries. About 1,060 complaints were registered during the past month, of which 88 were filed by workers against their employers.