KUWAIT CITY, April 19: The Kuwait Society for Human Rights (KSHR) called for the cancellation of the decision to stop the renewal of work permits for expatriates who reached 60 years old and hold high school certificates or below, reports Al-Jarida daily. In a press statement, the society explained that the abovementioned decision should be rescinded; taking into consideration the constant threat to the livelihood of some migrant workers.

The society also reiterated its call for the government to bear its responsibilities by abolishing the sponsorship system and implement an alternative system that protects the rights of everyone. “From time to time, PAM surprises us with decisions that do not take into account the humanitarian aspects. This happens in a country regarded as the International Humanitarian Center,” the society asserted.

According to the society, the decision does not take into consideration many immigrants who have been residing in Kuwait all their lives, along with their children and grandchildren with only the passport linking them to their mother country, while many of them belong to unstable countries and their exit from Kuwait could be a threat to their security and lives. The society pointed out this decision has no link with the demographic structure or national employment, wondering why it was retracted more than once and then modified in a completely incomprehensible manner.

The society called on the government to polish national legislation, including administrative decisions that regulate and supplement the laws in line with its international obligations in the field of human rights and the charters and conventions it has joined, especially the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. It also stressed the need to issue decisions based on specialized studies and research. “We recommend that these decisions should be discussed seriously with the representatives of non-government organizations (NGOs),” it added. The society reiterated its demand for Kuwait to join and activate the Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; in addition to activating the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) which was adopted in December 2018 in Marrakech.