Kuwait's expat bill may force 8 lakh Indians to come back
Around 8 lakh Indians could be forced out of Kuwait if a new bill on expats is enacted into law. The legal and legislative committee of Kuwait's National Assembly has approved the draft expat quota bill, according to which Indians should not exceed 15 per cent of the population. The bill is to be transferred to the respective committee so that a comprehensive plan is created.
According to a media report, this is likely to impact the Indian working community at large. Out of the 4.3 million population of Kuwait, expats account for 3 million out of which 1.45 million are Indians.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the news is making rounds in the country that policy makers and the Kuwait government are planning to reduce the number of foreigners in Kuwait. In the middle of this, Kuwait's PM Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah proposed a reduction in the number of expats from 70% to 30% of the total population.
The media report highlights that the Indian embassy was closely following developments related to the proposed legislation. India has so far not made any statement on the issue.