Kuwait may reduce expat workers

India said on Tuesday it is looking to help its expatriate workers in Kuwait who would be affected by the Gulf nation’s decision to reduce the number of its overseas workers even as 72,000 Indians have applied in neighbouring Saudi Arabia for emergency certificates to return home over the kingdom’s new work policy.

Kuwait, where around seven lakh Indians work, has announced a policy ro reduce the number of its expatriate workers over a 10-year period. The Kuwaiti government’s policy would affect only those workers who have invalid visas, said external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin at a briefing here.

He said those Indian workers who had entered on a domestic worker visa but  took up a job in a different category would be affected. He said the Indian embassy there was working to help the affected Indians and added that the measure was “not targeted at Indians” who comprise the largest expatriate workforce.

The embassy there has issued around 8,000 emergency certificates to Indian workers. The Kuwait government has offered to pay for the return airfare of the Indian workers till Mumbai.