Over 8 lakh Indians in Kuwait may be hit as House ayes expat quota bill

Kuwait, July 8: The fate of over 8 lakh Indian hangs in the most uncertain balance as Kuwait’s National Assembly committee has approved a draft expat quota bill seeking to reduce the number of foreign workers in the country.

This could result in 8,00,000 Indians leaving Kuwait, as the Indian community constitutes the largest expat community in the country, totaling 1.45 million, the Gulf News reported, citing a Kuwaiti newspaper. Kuwait is also one of the top sources of remittances for India, with media reports estimating that in 2018 India received nearly $4.8 billion.

Amid a slump in oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a spike in anti-expat rhetoric as lawmakers and government officials call for reducing the number of foreigners in Kuwait.

The current population of Kuwait is 4.3 million, with Kuwaitis making up 1.3 million of the population, and expats accounting for 3 million. Out of the three million, Indians account for 1.45 million in Kuwait.

The new bill seeks to gradually reverse the ratio of Kuwaitis and expats in the country’s population so that the natives are no longer outnumbered by expats.