The State faces another challenge amidst the pandemic-induced reverse migration from West Asia as thousands of Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs) face repatriation from Kuwait due to the Expat Quota Bill aimed at reducing the dependence on foreign workers.
The Bill proposes to bring down the population of expatriates in the country — 3 million now — to 30% of the total population of 4.3 million before the Parliament elections by year end. Currently expatriates form 70% of the population of Kuwait.
The bill proposes to reduce the number of Indians, the largest expatriate community, to 15% of the population. Similar quotas have been fixed for other nationalities.
If the Bill is enacted, around 8,00,000 of the 1.45 million Indians in Kuwait will be forced to return. Non-Resident Keralites will be the worst hit. Around 28,000 Indians are employed by the Kuwaiti government in skilled and semi-skilled professions like engineering, nursing and scientific research.
Nod for draft Bill
The legal and legislative committee of Kuwait’s National Assembly has approved the draft Bill. The new residency law, on the lines of the laws in other Arab countries, is aimed at changing the tag that Kuwait is an expatriate-majority nation. COVID-19 and the slump in oil prices have resulted in speeding up the legislation.
The law also aims at limiting the number of foreign nationals recruited by companies each year and will include regulations based on their skills.
Department of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs (NoRKA) sources say they aere aware of the move and awaiting details from Kuwait. “If the expatriate Indians are reduced to 15% of the population, Kerala will be the worst affected,†the official said.
For the expatriates, the hope is on the failed attempts over the years by Kuwait to reduce the number of expatriates employed and to drastically reduce the wages.