Law firm sells visas to Egyptians
While Kuwait is doing its best to fight human trafficking, advertisements still appear on social media about selling visas to people who are dreaming of a comfortable life. The new and strange thing this time is that the ads were made by a law firm that belongs to a Kuwaiti woman, calling on Egyptians to work in Kuwait in exchange of money paid in cash or installments. The citizen was contacted by WhatsApp from the labor office in Cairo asking for a visa for a laborer. She said a one-year residency for a car wash worker costs KD 1,250 and KD 1,650 for two years, with a salary of KD 70.
About the possibility of paying in installments, the owner said the office provides a facility to pay in three installments - the first is a KD 500 down payment, KD 500 when the visa is issued and a third payment of KD 500.
Director of Public Relations and the official spokesperson of the Manpower Public Authority (MPA) Aseel AlMazid said “such ads are not the authority’s concern”. She said the role of MPA starts when the laborer enters Kuwait, adding the responsible party is the interior ministry. “Our role is to issue laws to fight human trafficking through residency traders,” she said. About the role of MPA when it learns about such ads, she said if a worker or company complains, “we make sure about the complaint, take legal action and block the file”.
Meanwhile, the head of the Relations and Security Information Department at the Interior Ministry Brigadier Adel Al-Hashash said there is a task force that monitors what is advertised over social media and checks violations including sale of work visas. He said a website of a popular lawyer was detected offering visas to Egyptians in exchange of money, with an address and phone number to communicate via WhatsApp. He said residency detectives made sure about the information, and the lawyer was blocked and banned from sponsorships for life, while detectives searched the office to make sure about its licenses and its activities.
Hashash said letters were sent to MPA to make sure about the legality of all permits and work permits issued by the lawyer’s office and a garage, and their files were suspended until the facts are determined. He said electronic detectives are checking the site and any other sites in violation of the labor law, taking advantage to trade in loose and bogus laborers. —Al-Rai