Kuwait is threatened, youth is the victim
Modern day slavery: a term often confused with residency trading. It’s the million dollar industry that trades human lives. KD 500 if you’re Asian, KD 1000 if you’re an Arab. And the customers? They’re young people desperate for a dream: The Kuwaiti Dream.
The issue of residency trading has been swept under the rug for a while now, but we can no longer walk on the rug without tripping, falling, and breaking a leg. Residency trading is affecting us all, every day. Not only can we link it to a rise in crime rate, but our youth is affected first hand; they’re growing up with less job prospects, higher rates of drug abuse, and most importantly, they’re growing up with a skewed vision of the world, one that gives them the green light to buy and sell people.
“It’s part of our tradition and culture to invite foreigners visiting our country into our home and accommodate them for 3 whole days, no matter how unpleasant they may be. Not only is residency trading violating human rights, but it’s also violating and destroying our cultural traditions” said Nawaf Al-Arbash, a BSK graduate, and one of the Global Changemakers of Kuwait working on tackling this issue.
In July of 2009, the British Council chose 10 young activists to represent Kuwait in the Global Changemakers’ MENA Advocacy and Awareness forum in Jordan. At the forum, the Kuwait team decided to start a campaign to combat residency trade. Fajer al-Rashed, one of the team members stated that we are “obliged to aware and advocate for a new sponsor system that would lead to Kuwait developing as a better nation”
The current system in Kuwait states that each person wanting to work in Kuwait must have a sponsor to obtain a work permit. This sponsor is often the owner of a company. However, in many cases where the workers are willing to go through life carrying out small jobs with no definite contract, as they can’t find someone to sign a piece of paper stating they’ll actually pay them for what they do, they resort to a residency trader. This is a person who agrees to be their sponsor, in return for money. They are literally selling their lives, and they don’t even know what’s in store for them.
“Visa Trading is the root cause of several socio-economic problems in our society, and tackling the issue is more than just our duty. It is for our nation that we wish to excel at improving the living and working conditions of migrant workers and leading this reform in the Middle East. At the forefront of this reform are the Arab Youth: the section of society that has taken charge of combating social issues and bringing positive change to the community.“ stated Mohammed Yasir Khan, an 18 year old Economics student at University College London, and a BSK graduate, who also works in research for the campaign.
The Global Changemakers of Kuwait are working closely with the British Council of Kuwait, Kuwait’s Human Rights society, and Kuwait’s Economic society, whose board is chaired by MP Dr. Rola Dashti. The team is divided into two groups: Advocacy, and awareness.
The advocacy team, lead by Mohamed al-Bous, a Political Science graduate, has met with several prominent members of society who are also working to tackle this issue. Along with the advocacy team, the research team, lead by Yara Al-Wazir, an A-Level student at the British School of Kuwait, they have come up with a list of suggested solutions to tackle this problem, and keep Kuwait from becoming one of the worst human rights violators in the world.
Laila Marafie, who runs Left Brain Right Brain designs, and is part of the advocacy group, is working on a petition that will pressure the government and parliament to amend the law quickly and positively.
The rest of the team who went to the forum are Fahad Al-Khuzam, Asma’a Al-Qadiri, Eman Fikri and Anood Al-Dhafiri are all working in various parts of the campaign to ensure the campaign excels, and that we protect our youth, our nation, and our people.
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Well, very disgusting when the national law has holes which could be easily penetrated by such who violate the others’ rights.
I back you to start a campaign against the residency trade and Al-Kafeel system. Very disgisting.
Nationalism is anathema to free trade.
Viva la free trade. Limitless international free trade!
I applaud the writer of the article, however, may I ask you all to look again at the wider picture.
For one enter th USA and take residecy, one needs to pass tests and prove health and income viability…
For one to be accepted as resident in Australia must first prove high level of education attainment (professional qualification) income and pass health tests. The system is point based and must pass maximum points and intreviews before application accepted.. curious!!!!
Well now, how can one attack Kuwait for being specific with its requirement equal to the USA, Europe, and Australia… Those developed countries do not shy from applying the law to protect public welfare and interest… and they made sure only the best stay in the country…
Please look into their requirements and charges, then compare with Kuwait…
I dont disapprove nor condem the writer, but I honestly would like you to re-examine the notion from a different angle [step out of the box]. There are many issues brought forward and each need to looked at and examined differently…
All the best
Rokaya Al-Hasan
Ah, sweetie, I suggest you re-read the article to understand the system in Kuwait.
There’s no interview process, or requirments for a certain qualification; the person wanting to enter the country needs a sponsor, i.e. someone who will sponsor him to come into the country. Without a KUWAITI CITIZEN/ COMPANY as a sponsor, the person cannot enter the country. The sponsor must also prove that they’re working
Having lived in Australia, and I can tell you that the system there isn’t what it is in Kuwait – my parents moved there, my father found a job after we received our residency in Australia. That’s not how it works in Kuwait.
Thinking out of the box would be thinking of the economic effects, and not comparing it to a country with 12 million illegal immigrants (USA)
The thing here is that these illegal immigrants become slaves in a sense of the word, where they have to buy their own freedom.
I was wonderings if you ever considered changing the layout of your blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a petite more in the way of content so population could associate with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two images. Maybe you could space it out better?