MoU between Indian and Kuwait for cooperation in the recruitment of Domestic Workers
Transcript of briefing by Ambassador on the MoU between Indian and Kuwait for cooperation in the recruitment of Domestic Workers
Good Evening,
Welcome to this Open House at Embassy of India. I would like to start today’s Open House by thanking His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait and His Highness Sheikh Mishaal Al- Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait for hosting the large Indian community in Kuwait.
2. As you are aware, in the last few months I have been holding regular weekly open houses at the three passport outsourcing centers and in chancery, we will continue our weekly Open Houses and hold it regularly in chancery. I found these weekly open houses very useful for our domestic workers and other workers to meet me and directly convey their difficulties. Today’s Open House is a special session we are organizing to update the community on welfare of Indian Domestic Workers in Kuwait and also on the implementation of the MoU on Cooperation on the Recruitment of Domestic Workers which has now been implemented.
3. As you are aware, during the visit of Hon’ble External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar in June 2021, we had signed a MoU between India and Kuwait for cooperation in the recruitment of Domestic Workers. On behalf of the Government of India, I signed and on behalf of the Government of the State of Kuwait, H.E. Majdi Ahmad Al-Dhafiri, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs signed it. Both the Governments have now completed the internal legal procedures and has now implemented the MoU.
4. This MoU addresses most of the issues of concern for Indian Domestic Workers and Kuwaiti employers by streamlining the procedure for recruitment and also ensure the welfare and working conditions of Indian domestic workers. This is the first MoU between India and Kuwait for cooperation in the recruitment of Domestic Workers. The MoU brings the Indian Domestic Workers in Kuwait within the ambit of a legal framework which streamlines their recruitment and provides them with protection of law. It provides for an Employment Contract which ensures the rights and obligations of both the employer and the Domestic Workers including by endeavoring to establish a mechanism for 24 hours assistance to Domestic Workers. It provides for establishment of a Joint Committee for periodic review and assessment and to follow up the implementation of the MoU which will conduct annual meetings. We already have an employment contract which the Embassy attests for all ECR category Domestic Service Workers, which now becomes mandatory for all Domestic Service Workers.
5. In recent weeks, we are seeing an increase in the number of cases of domestic workers visiting the Embassy with many grievances, particularly of difficult working conditions. The number of female domestic workers in our shelter has also increased manifold. Most of them are new comers who arrived this year. During last year we had an average fifteen to twenty people in shelter, it has now increased to over a hundred domestic workers including around eighty women workers and over twenty men workers. We are extending all assistance including fortnightly medical support from Indian Doctors Forum for those in the shelter. Yesterday, I personally visited the shelter and met each of the Indian female and male workers in the shelter. We will send all of them back to India in coming weeks, once we complete the legal procedures for their return to India.
6. The maximum number of female domestic workers in Shelter are from Kerala, almost all of them who came to Kuwait through illegal channels on tourist visas to third countries and then to Kuwait on Domestic Workers visas. The highest numbers were earlier from Andhra Pradesh, but now it is mostly from Kerala. In my Open Houses and interaction with media during the last two years, I have been urging all to follow proper channel for travel to Kuwait. We should not encourage and entertain illegal agents and middlemen. We have been able to arrest and deport many illegal middlemen, while some are on the run. We need to generate more awareness among the people back home that they should travel to Kuwait for work through proper channels with employment contracts. We will explain the procedure today again in our PowerPoint presentation. We need to repeat every day that we should not allow middlemen to exploit our people.
7. After Covid 19 travel restrictions were lifted, there is considerable increase in the number of work visas issued for workers from India. We welcome it. I am happy that more Indians are travelling to Kuwait, in all categories including more medical professionals and more nurses. In recent months we have cleared recruitment of over two thousand nurses from India. We are working on more recruitment of nurses.
8. I am told that in 2022, over 42600 visas were issued for Domestic Workers from India. We already have over three lakh Domestic Workers in Kuwait. With the increase in number of Domestic Workers, there is an increase in number of complaints from Domestic Workers received in the Embassy. This year we received complaints from 1688 Domestic workers at the Embassy. While checking the records, we found that almost all of them have travelled to Kuwait through illegal channels without proper documents including with no Employment Contracts. However, with the help of Kuwaiti authorities we have been able to send them back to India.
9. In this year alone, we gave shelter to 395 Domestic Workers including 305 female Domestic Workers. Most have left to India with tickets arranged by the Embassy. It is again emphasized that most of them have travelled to Kuwait without proper documents and without Employment Contracts. Many have come through third countries on tourist visas and then travelled to Kuwait. I should emphasize that Kuwaiti authorities were extremely helpful for us in sending them back to India.
10. I have called this Open House on Domestic Workers welfare to seek the support of the community to generate awareness in India on the need to follow the procedures prescribed by Government of India to travel to Kuwait for work. Always travel with proper documents including Employment Contract. Do not encourage or entertain any middlemen or illegal agents. If any middlemen approach you offering job in Kuwait, immediately bring it to the attention of authorities in India and in Kuwait. Embassy of India helpline numbers are available 24x7 for all assistance. Thousands of Indians are using these numbers satisfactorily. You have an embassy here which is your home away from home.
11. We have now two presentations, one on the MoU for Domestic Workers and one on the activities of the Embassy. I will take questions and suggestions after the presentations. Thank you.
