About 240 expats, victims of human peddling face ouster

Kuwaiti 2nd among Arabs caring for domestics

KUWAIT CITY, April 5: About 240 expatriates discovered after two years that they entered Kuwait upon work permits to work on a farm of a Kuwaiti and now are facing deportation because the Kuwaiti allegedly tampered with the ‘estimated needs of the workers’ and imported more than the required number of laborers, reports AlRai daily.

According to reports these workers are now stranded in no man’s land and the dagger of deportation is hanging over their heads because according to the concerned authorities they have either violated the law or entered the country on forged documents in spite of them holding valid residence.

The workers who are believed to be of different nationalities have reportedly paid the sponsor between KD 1,600 and KD 1,800 for two year residence permits, although they were hired to work on his farm. They were promised two years residence permit after which they were told they could transfer the visa to another sponsor.

When several workers were in the process of transferring their residence permit to another sponsor they discovered they are wanted by the law and a case of fraud has been registered against them.

When the expatriates contacted their sponsor he reportedly said he can do nothing to solve their problem.

The source said the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor listened to the complaints of the expatriates and summoned the sponsor but he refused to show up.

It is imminent the workers will be deported and will never be able to enter any of the GCC states.