MPs express outright rejection of opening the door for family visit

‘Large number of expats in Kuwait at present’

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 13: A number of MPs have challenged the Interior Ministry’s idea of facilitating issuance of commercial and family visit visas for expatriates, and called for strict regulations to avoid demographic imbalance stimulation, reports Al-Rai daily.

MP Al-Humaidi Al-Sebaie expressed outright rejection of opening the door for family visits, which he insisted, will have negative impact on the country’s demography. He is surprised the ministry is contemplating such measures amid the growing number of expatriates, noting the step contradicts the approach of Government and the National Assembly that seek to reduce the number of expatriates. He stressed he’s not against issuing visas to the expatriates only if they deserve it.

MP Khalid Al-Otaibi stated “this is not the right time to facilitate family visits due to the large number of expatriates in Kuwait at present”. He added the idea will only stimulate demographic imbalance and make it more difficult in finding a lasting solution to the problem.

He asserted the Interior Ministry’s plan to facilitate family visits will encourage medical tourism, which is illogical. He wondered if Kuwait is among advanced like the US and countries in Europe where individuals embark on medical tourism.

For his own part, MP Abdullah Fahad praised the Ministry of Interior for amending foreigners’ residency law to facilitate family visits for different reasons, including education and medical treatment. He is proud that Kuwait became the destination of those seeking jobs, noting the new development will contribute in creating investment opportunities.

MP Dr Adel Al-Damkhi said it requires total cooperation among various official bodies to set a comprehensive plan in dealing with the demographic situation, while official decisions must be based on a unified strategy amid a clear plan that specifies the required number of expatriates in each profession.