Human Rights Watch yesterday published an article accusing Kuwait of violating international human rights law with the new exit visa requirement. The article was written Michael Page, the deputy director at HRW in the Middle East and North Africa division.
This decision is an alarming step backward in Kuwait’s migrant worker governance. Instead of dismantling the kafala (visa sponsorship system) in its entirety, the Kuwaiti state is reinforcing it by putting migrant workers even further under the control of their employers and making them more vulnerable to exploitation.
There is no basis to Kuwaiti authorities’ claim that the exit permit will balance the interests of both employers and workers. Rather, the permit enables employers to trap workers in abusive situations and serves as a tool for retaliation.
The whole exit visa requirement decision is a really weird one which I don’t get. But then again, there are so many things that happen here I don’t get. Yesterday after posting the photos of Entertainment City under construction, I went through more of my old photos and still can’t understand how the whole place was demolished, trees and all, then just left as a barren desert with nothing in its place. There are so many things that happen here I don’t get, and this exit visa thing is just another one to add to the list and move on.
You can read the full Human Rights Watch article on their website.
