Kuwait has introduced new regulations limiting the recruitment of domestic workers to 10 approved countries while restricting or prohibiting recruitment from 27 others, according to local media reports.
Under the new framework, recruitment will continue from South Africa, Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Nepal, and Senegal (for male workers only).
The restrictions affect Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, among others.
The development revives memories of the domestic worker crisis that drew significant attention between 2013 and 2017, when reports emerged of abuse, exploitation, human trafficking, unpaid wages, and poor working conditions involving some Sierra Leonean housemaids in Kuwait.
At the forefront of efforts to address the crisis was the late Sierra Leone Ambassador to Kuwait, H.E. Ibrahim Bakarr Kamara, who worked closely with Kuwaiti authorities, international partners, and the Government of Sierra Leone to protect affected citizens. His leadership was instrumental in facilitating the rescue and repatriation of distressed Sierra Leoneans while advocating for stronger regulation of labour recruitment and enhanced safeguards for migrant workers.
Those efforts contributed to the signing of a moratorium in 2017, which suspended the recruitment and deployment of Sierra Leonean domestic workers to Kuwait pending the establishment of improved protection and oversight mechanisms.
Throughout the crisis, the Sierra Leone Embassy in Kuwait played a pivotal role in assisting vulnerable nationals, coordinating repatriations, and engaging relevant authorities to address cases of abuse and exploitation. The Embassy’s response remains a notable example of citizen-centred diplomacy during a period of considerable concern for Sierra Leonean migrant workers.
Public awareness of the situation was further strengthened through extensive reporting by this writer, who at the time served as Press Attaché to Saudi Arabia with concurrent accreditation to the Gulf States. The coverage documented the plight of affected workers, highlighted the Embassy’s interventions, and helped sustain public and governmental attention on the issue.
Kuwaiti authorities say the latest measures are aimed at strengthening oversight, accountability, and regulatory compliance within the domestic labour sector.
*© MB Jalloh*