MoCI sets fixed prices of KD 990 and KD 390 for hiring helpers

Major General Sheikh Mazen Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah

KUWAIT: Kuwait will begin rehiring Ethiopian domestic workers after a ban that lasted for years, the interior ministry announced yesterday. The decision was made after a series of meetings with representatives from the Ethiopian government, the interior ministry's assistant undersecretary for citizenship and passports affairs Maj Gen Sheikh Mazen Al-Sabah said in a statement. He pointed out that this is being done on compassionate grounds as well, as the holy month of Ramadan is approaching, which invariably means more household chores for Kuwaiti families.

Sheikh Mazen made clear Ethiopian delegates were apprised of a raft of measures the government has taken to protect the rights of domestic workers. Kuwait has long been a magnet for migrant domestic workers, he said, adding that the country is keen on exploring new opportunities in the domestic work market.

"We aim to open the door to the recruitment of Ethiopian workers to fill the deficit of domestic servants and reduce prices," said General Talal Al-Maarifi, head of the interior ministry's general department of residency affairs. The Philippines banned its citizens from working in Kuwait after the body of 29-year-old Joanna Demafelis was found in a freezer earlier this year, bearing signs of torture. Ethiopia five years ago instituted a similar ban, following reports of abuse and complaints that employment agencies lured its citizens to work under illegal and appalling conditions. The ban was lifted last Thursday.

Maarifi said there were more than 15,000 Ethiopians currently living and working in Kuwait. Kuwaiti police in March 2017 detained a woman for filming her Ethiopian maid falling from the seventh floor without trying to rescue her. The 12-second video shows the maid hanging outside the building, with one hand tightly gripping the window frame, as she begs for help.

Meanwhile, anyone seeking to hire the services of a domestic worker through any government-accredited offices throughout the country will now have to pay KD 990 ($3,267). According to a decision by Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan, those who prefer to handle the process on their own are required to provide the office with a copy of the domestic worker's passport, and the cost will be KD 390 ($1,287). These charges are fixed and not subject to change, the commerce ministry stressed in a statement, warning violators of legal action. It added the decision will be in effect for a trial period of six months pending reevaluation. - Agencies