LOCALARAB TIMES, TUESDAY, JULY 4, 2017

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Need to take radical measuresto combat visa traders: experts

‘Implement laws which aim at organizing local labor market’

By Najeh BilalAl-Seyassah Staff

KUWAIT CITY, July 3: Calls for population restruc-ture in the country continue but actual means for implementing them in reality have not been found,

especially with constant flow of expatriates annually. Majority of these expatriates are marginal labor force. Observers

and experts believe this phenomenon poses a huge risk if radical mea-sures are not taken to combat visa traders.

In this context, statistics issued by the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) indicate that the number of expatriates in the country has

reached about 3,073,431 as of December 2016. This is an increase of about 124,000 expatriates from 2015 when the number of expatriates was 2,931,401. Such an increase is considered to be very big.

On the other hand, the number of Kuwaitis has reached 1,977,987. This includes families being treated as citi-zens, non-Kuwaiti wives of Kuwaiti men who are yet to receive Kuwaiti citizen-ship and their domestic workers.

The statistics also revealed a huge increase in the number of expatriates in the last ten years. In the 2005 census, the num-ber of expatriates stood at 1,998,972. This shot up to 2,433,691 expatriates in 2010. In 2016, this number further increased to exceed 3,000,000 with the inclusion of large number of marginal labor force.

Regarding this issue, Lawyer Mubarak Al-Mutawa stressed the need to imple-ment laws which aim at organizing the local labor market in a manner that will bring an end to the presence of marginal labor force in the country.

He indicated that he supports stringent laws that hold citizens accountable for being involved in the visa trade and for bringing expatriates into the country.

Lawyer Al-Mutawa said this is essen-tial considering the huge increase in the number of expatriates on an annual basis despite calls and decisions that demand reduction of these numbers, especially of the marginal labor force in the country.

“Throughout time, Kuwait has never been expatriate-repellent. However, with the horrific increase in the number of expatriate labor force in the recent years, an organized manner for the entry of expatriates is necessary to ensure only skilled and required labor force enters the country”, he added.

Meanwhile, a labor consultant at Kuwait Society for Human Rights Abdulrahman Al-Ghanim said any talk about repatriating expatriates in a bid to reduce their numbers in the country con-tradicts the proper vision for the develop-ment of Kuwait, as the country is still in need of expatriate labor force in majority of the professions.

KUNA photo

His Highness the Crown Prince while receiving Sheikh Thamer Ali.

Crown Prince receives National Security chief

There is still work to be done: US envoy

‘Kuwait makes tangible effortsto combat human trafficking’

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Monday at Bayan

Palace Chief of National Security Apparatus Sheikh Thamer Ali Al-Sabah. (KUNA)

KUWAIT CITY, July 3: US Ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence Silverman said the report issued by the US Department of State on human trafficking is part of efforts being exerted by the US government to eliminate this scourge, reports Al-Anba daily.

He pointed out this year’s report highlights the successes and chal-lenges “we still have to face through our relentless and diligent pursuit to eradicate that scourge,” he told the daily in an exclusive statement.

Silverman revealed Kuwait has made tangible efforts to combat human trafficking but there is still work to be done.

He pointed out Kuwait continues in its efforts to protect victims of traf-ficking.

The country has also stepped up its law enforcement efforts and has taken steps to strengthen its basic

legal structure. However, the status of Kuwait does not meet the mini-mum standards required to eliminate human trafficking and therefore remains on the second tier of the monitoring list.

He pointed out the availability of these standards is a tool used by gov-ernments and organizations around the world to identify gaps that are in dire need of more resources and efforts.

Kuwait continues to occupy the same classification it occupied last year but the efforts made during the period covered by this report have been praised.

Silverman noted the Kuwaiti and US governments have worked close-ly together on this issue, looking forward to further cooperation and further progress “in our mutual com-mitment to eliminate human traffick-ing.”

KUNA photosFrom left: His Highness the Amir with His Highness the Crown Prince, Speaker Al-Ghanim and His Highness the Prime Minister.

His Highness the Amir receives senior officials

His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace.

HH the Amir also received the Speaker of the National Assembly, Marzouq Al-Ghanim, and later he also received HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. (KUNA)

KUNA photoKuwait’s Deputy Foreign Minister Al-Jarallah and Serbian Minister of Culture Vladan Vukosavljevic

signing the deals.

Kuwait, Belgrade seek closer ties

Serbian president receives letter from AmirKUWAIT CITY, July 3, (KUNA): Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Monday with Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah, who handed Vucic a letter from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Al-Jarallah departed the country on Sunday for Belgrade, where he will meet with senior Serbian offi-cials from July 2-3, with an

accompanying delegation com-prising Kuwait’s Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs Ambassador Waleed Al-Khubaizi and Assistant Foreign Minister for the Deputy Foreign Minister’s Office Affairs Ambassador Ayham Al-Omar.

Meanwhile, Kuwait and Serbia signed on Monday memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for bilat-eral cooperation in the oil, energy

and cultural sectors.Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign

Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah signed the deals on the Kuwaiti side, while the Serbian signatories were Minister of Energy & Mining Aleksandar Antic and Minister of Culture Vladan Vukosavljevic.

Al-Jarallah is in Serbia to hold discussions with senior officials from July 2-3, with an accompa-nying delegation.

Amir receives call from Pakistani PM: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Monday received a phone call from Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

During the phone conversation, they discussed relations between both friendly countries, issues of mutual interest and the latest regional developments.

The Pakistani premier wished His Highness the Amir wellbeing and the State of Kuwait more progress and prosperity under the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir.

On his part, His Highness the Amir thanked the Pakistani premier for this contact that reflects the deep and close relations between both friendly countries, wishing him good health and Pakistan more progress and prosper-ity. (KUNA) ❑ ❑ ❑

Charity society launches 36th caravan: Al-Sal-am Humanitarian and Charitable Society launched its 36th caravan to Kyrgyzstan accompanied by a number of board members, donors and volunteers in order to carry out sev-eral humanitarian and charitable works to serve the needy in Kyrgyzstan.

At the Kuwait International Airport, Director General Dr Nabil Al-Oun said the activities of the caravan will kickstart with the distribution of baskets of food items and clothes to orphans and widows. ❑ ❑ ❑

IDB approves $1.44 bln funds for projects: The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) on Sunday announced that its Board of Executive Directors endorsed new funds to carry out some projects totaling approximately $1.44 billion in member states.

Following the board meeting, the bank said in a state-ment that the new funds included projects in the areas of electricity, sharing expertise, water, sewage, industry, housing, telecommunications, agriculture and health as well as education and health projects for some Muslim societies, which are non-IDB member states.

It added that the meeting discussed organizational and administrative preparations associated with the 24nd meeting held in Jeddah last May.

The conferees also reviewed “Qatar’s strategic part-nership with the IDB group,” it said, adding that the board approved financing development projects in Cote d’Ivoire, Lebanon and Burkina Faso totalling $30 mil-lion, $24.1 million and $102.8 million respectively. (KUNA)

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