PAKISTANI AND AFGHAN AMBASSADORS COMMENT ON LABOR

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000223 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARPI AND G/TIP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM ELAB KCRM PK AF KU SUBJECT: PAKISTANI AND AFGHAN AMBASSADORS COMMENT ON LABOR CONDITIONS IN KUWAIT REF: A. KUWAIT 185 ¶B. 05 KUWAIT 263 ¶1. Pakistani Ambassador Mohammad Aslam called on the Ambassador on January 22 to discuss the ongoing succession process in Kuwait (septels) and bilateral issues between Pakistan and Kuwait. He also reported that the Pakistani labor community in Kuwait is faring well in general. He said that during his tenure of approximately three months there have been no serious problems. This echoes comments made by the Afghani ambassador to Kuwait in a meeting with Ambassador LeBaron on January 21 (ref a). Both countries have large expatriate populations in Kuwait. ¶2. When pressed on specific issues previously raised by the Pakistani labor attache at a December 2005 meeting with EmbOff, Aslam acknowledged that problems still exist: employers routinely take workers' passports; workers complain of not being paid on time; and the sponsorship system (in which a foreign worker's right to stay in Kuwait can be rescinded by his Kuwaiti employer at any time) makes workers susceptible to exploitation. He cited a case from June 2005 in which 400 Pakistanis signed contracts to come to Kuwait and work for what they considered good monthly salaries of 80 dinars ($275). After paying exorbitant sums to get Kuwaiti work visas, the workers arrived in Kuwait only to find that the company they were supposed to work for did not exist. They then faced forcible return to Pakistan since they did not have legitimate sponsors. Aslam said his embassy was able to intercede on their behalf so that they could stay and look for other employment. Aslam also said that his embassy had succeeded in repatriating most Pakistanis who had finished jail terms in Kuwait and were languishing in deportation cells. Despite the existence of problems, however, Aslam seemed sanguine about the situation of Pakistani workers in Kuwait. ¶3. Post will convene a meeting of labor attaches on January 24th. Attending countries will include the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Indonesia, in addition to the Chief of Mission from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). While Post has regular contact with the invited missions, the meeting will provide a forum for sharing information and identifying ways to assist the GOK in its labor reform efforts. ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* LeBaron