Kuwait has introduced sweeping new restrictions on the recruitment of domestic workers, effectively shutting out applicants from Nigeria, Kenya and 22 other African countries, as well as two Asian nations, under a revised labour policy tightening access to one of the Gulf’s key employment corridors.
According to a circular issued by Kuwait’s Interior Ministry, domestic workers may now only be recruited from select countries including South Africa, Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam and Nepal. Recruitment from Senegal is permitted but restricted to male workers only.
The directive, which took effect shortly after being updated, also bars recruitment from a wide range of African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Togo, Malawi, Chad, Djibouti, Niger, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, as well as the Asian countries of Madagascar and Bhutan.
The measure was adopted following recommendations from several government bodies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and the Public Authority for Manpower, according to local reports.
