Kuwait bans issuing Visas to Ethiopian migrants

By Tesfa-alem tekle

August 14, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Kuwaiti authorities as of Augest 11 has banned issuing visas for economic migrants of Ethiopian national. The Arab Times quoted an official as saying

The move comes after three Ethiopians nationals tested HIV positive upon arrival to work on a domestic sector.

“The Kuwait government should not mete out collective punishment to all Ethiopians, instead the Kuwait embassy in Ethiopia should get to the bottom of the matter, even as he called on the embassy to check the antecedents of the medical centers in Ethiopia, which cleared the three maids” Hashem Majed, the Managing Director of Al-Huqooq International Company said

The Kuwaiti government has expressed surprise on how the newly recruited maids had cleared medical test at homeland and demanded explanation.

“The Kuwaiti embassy should conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain whether any ill-practices were involved in the matter.”

The official believes the ban is temporary in nature.

According to the report, Al-Huqooq International Company has been offering legal assistance to distressed workers and has helped in repatriating thousands of stranded workers of various nationalities.

The three infected workers have been deported from the country it was indicated.

.Until a few days ago, about 1,000 Ethiopian maids were being recruited on a monthly basis and the ban is likely to create a serious vacuum in the domestic sector, especially after Sri Lanka decided to cut the number of maids to the Middle East over alleged mistreatment, it added.

According to Majed, there are some 14,000 Ethiopians in Kuwait, many of whom work in the domestic sector.

(ST)