Vice president of the defunct centre, Nabeel Rajab, said, “The workers should have proper information about the general amnesty for illegals announced by the Ministry of Labour. Domestic workers who stay indoors and have limited access to the outside world should be the target of the awareness campaign.”

 

During an interview with the Tribune, the Minister of Labour, Dr Majeed bin Mohsen Al Alawi, had said the amnesty would start from August and last for six months.
Rajab said embassies and social clubs should step in and provide financial assistance for those workers who wanted to return but could not afford air tickets. Workers mainly from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are expected to avail themselves of the amnesty. The Pakistani embassy highlighted the amnesty at an Open House where the ambassador said about 2,000 workers were expected to benefit from the amnesty. Rajab welcomed the amnesty and said, “Employers should legalise the status of their employees. Information material on the amnesty in different languages should be distributed by the authorities.”

 

Dr Al Alawi, who is also chairman of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority had urged foreigners as well as employers who breached Law No. 19 for 2006 and other related laws to “readjust their conditions” and contact the General Directorate for Nationality, Passports and Residence.

 

The violations under Law No. 19 include unlicensed use of expatriate labour, recruitment and “dumping” of expatriates in the labour market, transferring expatriate labour without sponsors’ permission, and employees absconding from work.
The centre urged the ministry to ensure that companies and individuals exploiting “free visa” workers complied with the law.

 

Air India has announced that it would help expatriates during the six-month amnesty. “We have always been at the forefront to help stranded Indian expatriates when required,” the airline’s regional director, Gulf, Middle East and Africa, F. J. Vaz had told the Tribune.

 

 

Kuwait urges positive contributions in anti-narcotics campaigns

 

 

KUNA: Khaled Al-Hamad, vice-chairman of a national committee on drug prevention, called on importance of positive contributions to the anti-narcotics programs.

 

Al-Hamad was speaking in a ceremony organized by the committee under patronage Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Interior, and committee chairman, to mark the international drug day.

 

Al-Hamad warned against spread of drugs in the region, a matter that required doubling of prevention programs to protect "social and economic resources at our communities." He urged parents to live up to their responsibilities towards their children against drugs.

 

The drug traffickers and dealers are targetting the youth, which is the foundation of development in every society, he said.