MP submits bill to percentise expats
‘Let Bedouns teach’
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 24: MP Abdul-Kareem AlKandari submitted a bill on amending Amiri Decree No. 17/1959 on the residence of foreigners.
Article One of the bill says, “The Council of Ministers shall determine the percentage of foreigners residing in the country according to their nationalities. In any case, the percentage of foreigners of any nationality shall not exceed 10 percent of the total number of citizens. If the percentage exceeds 10 percent prior to the application of this law, the Interior Ministry should take the necessary measures within three years to reduce the percentage in accordance with the law.”
Article Two states that the Ministry of Interior shall review the percentage of foreigners residing in the country according to their nationality every year and then take action to reduce or increase the percentage as stipulated in Article One based on data about production efficiency, crime rate, marginal workers and social behavior.
Article Three mandates the prime minister and ministers to implement this law after its publication in the Official Gazette.
Meanwhile, MP Faisal AlKandari stressed the need for the government to take legal action against expatriate teachers who filed international cases against Kuwait. He also urged the government to benefit from the expertise of Bedouns who hold the required certificates to work in the field of teaching, especially since they are the children of Kuwait and they are more loyal than expatriates. He pointed out many Bedouns are graduates of universities and applied colleges so they are qualified to teach. He called on the minister of education to present the idea to the Council of Ministers, stressing these Bedouns have the ability to occupy posts which require rare specializations.
He stressed the need to address the expatriate teachers issue since Kuwait has given them many privileges they could only dream of in their countries; while Bedouns, who are Kuwaitis, need jobs to help them cope with the difficulties of life.
In another development, Chairman of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee MP Adel Al-Damkhi disclosed the Ministry of Interior will receive Bedouns who hold forged passports and then the Central System for Remedying the Status of Illegal Residents (CSRSIR) will grant them cards for medical treatment and basic services.
Speaking to reporters after the committee meeting Thursday in the presence of Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah and CSRSIR Chairperson Saleh Al-Fadalah, Al-Damkhi explained the naturalization of the wives of martyrs will be under the item on ‘great works’.
On the other hand, committee member MP Mohammed Hayef said the interior minister promised to help the CSRSIR in distributing cards to about 5,000 people with forged passports.