KUWAIT: The Director of the Immigration Directorate, Brigadier Kamel Al-Awadhi announced that there are too many domestic helpers in the country. The estimated number, about 600,000 is too large and needs to be reduced in order to maintain a balanced population formula, he added.

Al-Awadhi said that the number needs to be reduced in order to refute accusations of human trafficking and establish a national shareholding company for laborers to work in Kuwait. "We have to take these accusations seriously in order to protect and defend Kuwait's reputation," he said.

He responded to questions regarding the need for expatriates to provide certificates of clear criminal records before working in Kuwait. He said that this measure would be mandatory for those coming to live and get a residency visa in Kuwait but not necessary for those just visiting.

He also noted that permission to stay out of Kuwait for more than six months without cancelling residency visas is usually given to students who study abroad, holders of Egyptian travel documents with article 22 visas, sick people and the domestic helpers of diplomats.

He said that expats need a minimum salary of KD 250 in order to earn a residency visa. Women who are expats are not allowed to sponsor their husbands but can sponsor their children if they are divorced or widowed, he added.  - Kuwait Times