Residency law enforcement disrupts construction timelines

KUWAIT CITY, July 7: There has been a notable increase in the wages of skilled and professional workers and the situation continues to exacerbate, leading to a shortage of labor. This has notably impacted citizens who own plots of land and are seeking to build their homes.

One of the main reasons is the exodus of large numbers of violators of residency law and the rest who are being arrested during the intensive security campaigns following the expiry of the grace period for failing to regularize their status, the Ministry of Interior said all these people will be arrested. Many workers have taken advantage of this shortage to double their daily wages, causing delays in construction, especially for finishing and renovation work.

Khaled Al-Anzi, head of the Mutlaa residents’ committee, informed Al-Seyassah that the Ministry of Interior’s crackdown on illegal workers has presented challenges for plot owners in building their homes. He noted that some workers have increased their daily wages from 15 to 30 dinars due to the scarcity of labor available for tasks such as surveying, electrical work, and finishing.

Al-Anzi emphasized the importance of the Ministry’s efforts to control illegal workers but acknowledged that these campaigns have created fear among workers about coming to Al-Mutlaa. Many workers are apprehensive about falling into procedural issues, which has led to them avoiding the area, further exacerbating the labor shortage. He pointed out that some workers have exploited the situation to raise their wages, disrupting ongoing projects due to their inconsistent presence. He called for allowing workers with professional experience to transition to roles that match their skills, even if they were initially hired for different jobs such as drivers or farmers.

Al-Anzi praised the government decision to facilitate the transfer of workers from Article 20 (domestic workers) to the private sector to address the labor shortage. Al-Anzi urged the authorities to expedite the process of bringing in legal labor, provide incentives to attract trained workers, and allow those with technical qualifications to work in the private sector. Khaled Al-Daihani, head of the South Abdullah Al-Mubarak Residents Committee, told Al- Seyassah that although the Ministry of Interior’s campaigns aim to regulate the labor market and ensure compliance with the laws, they have inadvertently caused many workers to abandon construction projects out of fear of legal repercussions.

Al-Daihani noted that some workers have valid residence permits but are employed in professions different from their official designation, such as finishing and electrical work, causing delays in construction, particularly in tasks not covered by the main contractor’s contract. Al-Daihani called for the adoption of effective policies and procedures to regulate the labor market and provide trained and legal labor to ensure the continuity of construction projects. In related news, the Ministry of Interior continues its efforts to arrest workers who have not taken advantage of the humanitarian grace period to amend their status or leave the country.

Over the weekend, security services arrested 100 violators during campaigns in Al-Wafra, Al-Abdali farms, Amghara and other locations. The security sources told the Al- Seyassah daily that these violators have been referred to the concerned authority for immediate deportation and barred from entering the country again.

Sources confirmed that security campaigns against residency law violators will persist, with surprise checkpoints planned to be erected to nab offenders. Once arrested, these individuals will be fingerprinted and deported immediately with no possibility of returning to Kuwait again. The recent campaigns, launched in various locations, were supervised by Assistant Undersecretary for Public Security Affairs Major- General Hamad Al-Munifi, Major General Abdullah Safah, and other security leaders.

By Mohammed Al-Musleh and Munif Naif
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff