KUWAIT CITY, July 8: Domestic worker affairs specialist Bassam Al-Shammari said the decision by First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef to allow the transfer of domestic workers to the private sector from July 14 to Sept 12 will help curb the phenomenon of domestic workers moving illicitly into the private sector, reports Al-Jarida daily. This trend arose due to shortages in skilled and professional labor following the departure of many workers affected by the 60-year old worker policy.

According to statistics from the Public Authority for Manpower cited by Al- Shammari, around 30 percent of violations related to residency and domestic work laws involve workers fleeing from their sponsors. Despite the short initial implementation period of two months, Al-Shammari expects hundreds of workers to benefit and calls on relevant government bodies to consider extending the time-frame. He notes that many workers who recently adjusted their status or left Kuwait could also benefit from this opportunity.

Another significant benefit highlighted by Al-Shammari is the potential reduction in labor disputes among domestic workers, which could alleviate pressure on shelters managed by the Manpower Authority. He predicts that the Need Estimation Department will experience increased demand coinciding with the implementation of this transfer decision, especially with the recent policy allowing companies to recruit all their licensed workers directly from abroad without mandatory internal transfers