Migrant workers in Kuwait

Migrant workers in Kuwait constitute a significant proportion of the population.^[1]

Foreign nationals make up 60% of the population and 78% of the labor force in Kuwait.^[2]

Kuwait's economy is highly dependent on foreign labor. To facilitate the recruitment of migrants, the country has signed memorandum of understanding and agreements with South and Southeast Asia, as well as some African countries, among others. The sponsorship system known as Kafala is almost the only way to recruit migrant workers. It is also used to strictly monitor migrant workers, who mainly work in the construction and domestic sectors. Access to justice remains difficult for migrants in Kuwait. The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased migrants' vulnerability to deportation, mistreatment, and health problems as the Kuwaiti economy has fallen into a deep recession due to the drop in oil prices. In 2020, government efforts to nationalize the labor force increased sharply, as did migrant repatriations. Another problem is statelessness. Kuwait has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not have an asylum system.^[3]