US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT4007

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004007 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP, NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, PGOV, KCRM, KU, Labor 
SUBJECT: TIP UPDATE: LABOR MINISTRY ADVISED KUWAIT LIKELY 
TO REMAIN TIER 3; OFFICIAL REVIEWS PENDING LEGISLATION 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 163401 
     B. KUWAIT 3603 
     C. KUWAIT 3412 
     D. KUWAIT 3158 
     E. SECSTATE 108156 
 
Classified By: DCM Matthew Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) DCM opened a September 10 meeting with Ministry of 
Social Affairs and Labor (MOSAL) Acting Undersecretary 
Mohammed Al-Kandari with a briefing on Kuwait's tier 
reclassification status as part of the 2005 Trafficking in 
Persons (TIP) Report.  While reiterating that the White House 
had not yet released an official determination, DCM informed 
the U/S that the Secretary had recommended that Kuwait remain 
Tier 3 but receive a full waiver of sanctions (ref A). While 
Kuwait had taken steps to satisfy the action plan (ref E), in 
the assessment led by G/TIP, there were unfulfilled items 
regarding revisions to the labor law, establishment of 
shelters and implementation of a new contract for maids. 
 
2. (C) Al-Kandari, in the latest in a series of TIP-related 
updates (ref C), reported that the Minister of Social Affairs 
sent a letter September 6 to the Council of Ministers urging 
passage of a law banning underage camel racing, in line with 
other GCC countries, to replace the current ministerial 
decree prohibiting the practice. In another legislative move, 
the U/S said that the Council has already agreed to submit 
the revised labor law covering expatriate workers except 
domestic servants (ref D) to the National Assembly for 
approval. The Parliament, scheduled to reconvene in October, 
would probably address the labor law issue in November or 
December, in Al-Kandari's estimation. 
 
3. (C) In addition to a new three-party contract for maids 
scheduled to take effect October 1 (ref B), Al-Kandari added 
that some MPs, including independent Saleh Ashour, have 
discussed introducing laws in the National Assembly, which 
would protect maids from exploitation. He reported that 
current Ministry of Interior (MOI) regulations ban abusive 
sponsors from obtaining new maids by placing their names on a 
"blacklist." In fact, he clarified, those on the blacklist 
cannot process any MOI transactions or paperwork until they 
reimburse the Ministry for the cost of repatriating the 
abused under their sponsorship. 
 
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LEBARON