Kuwait: One Million Expat Visas Cancelled in 3 Years
According to official government data, over 1.15 million expatriate residencies were revoked within three years, including 67,000 who left the country between January 2022 and April 2023. Of these, 11,000 received “administrative deportation” decisions in the first quarter of 2023, while 56,279 expatriate residencies were cancelled last year, it was reported. Sources attribute the revocation of these residencies to various reasons, including the desire of residency owners to leave and deportation decisions for violating work and residency laws.
Despite the market closures during the pandemic, the local labour market has recently witnessed an influx of workers. Official data shows that 2022 marked a significant recovery in the labour market, with 67,000 workers entering the country for the first time, 64% of whom were domestic workers. However, 227,000 expatriates left the country in 2021, with approximately 160,000 leaving without compensation, most of whom were working in the private and family sectors as domestic workers. As the world celebrates International Labor Day, these trends raise questions about the treatment of migrant workers in Kuwait.
According to official data, the labour market in the private sector saw an increase in new employment across 7 main activities, with the exception of the family sector. The construction sector experienced a significant boost, with the number of registered workers rising from 100,000 in 2021 to 218,000 in the past year.
The trade sector saw an increase of 6,000 new workers, reaching a total of 64,000, while the manufacturing industries sector saw an increase of 23,000, reaching a total of 146,000 workers. Despite complaints from the fishing and agricultural sector about the lack of employment opportunities, the data revealed an increase of approximately 11,000 workers between 2021 and 2022, with a total employment of around 74,000 in this sector.
However, two activities experienced a decrease in employment. The accommodation and restaurant sector saw a decrease of 59,000 workers, with the number of registrants reaching 686,000 by the end of last year. The professional, scientific, and technical activities sector also witnessed a decrease of 7,000 workers.
Data released by the Public Authority for Civil Information indicated that only three communities residing in Kuwait recorded a decrease in their total numbers as of the end of last year. These were the Ethiopian, Afghani, and Iranian communities. Conversely, the numbers of 17 other communities increased during the same period. Notably, the Indian community continued to hold first place among the communities with the highest presence in the country.
Top 7 Nationalities that top demographics
India: 965,774
Egypt: 655,234
Philippines: 274,777
Bangladesh: 256,849
Syria: 162310
Saudi Arabia: 135950
Sri Lanka: 120147
