Kuwait’s Bangladeshi visa ban will only apply to some workers

Authorities in Kuwait have clarified that a ban on issuing work visas to Bangladeshi nationals announced on Monday will not apply to all workers, according to reports.

Kuwait Times cited Bangladeshi embassy councillor and labour attaché Abdullatif Khan as saying the ban would be temporary and only apply to certain groups.

“We were informed today [Tuesday] that the visa ban that was imposed due to a number of problematic cases involving our nationals will be temporary,” he was quoted assaying.

“Bangladeshis and probably Kuwaitis are involved in visa trading, so until corrective measures are implemented, recruitment will be temporarily suspended.”

Kuwait’s deputy prime minister and interior minister Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah instructed the assistant undersecretary for nationality and passports to implement the ban on Monday.

The publication cited sources as saying his decision was made after a rise in Bangladeshi workers in the country was noticed.

The group had reportedly become a target of visa traders after the lifting of a previous ban.

Monday’s ban will only apply to article 20 visa workers, which include domestic helpers, family drivers and ‘houseboys’, according to Khan.

Article 18 visa workers, including skilled labourers and other private sector workers, will be exempt.

The majority of the 200,000 Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait are believed to hold article 20 visas.