Indian embassy - Recruitment of Indian domestic workers

The Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Sibi George, during the weekly Open House, which was held at the embassy chancery, shed light on the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the recruitment of domestic workers between India and Kuwait, says a press release issued by the embassy.

The ambassador said, “over the past few months, I have been holding regular weekly open houses at the three passport outsourcing centres and at the chancery, and we will continue our weekly practice and hold Open Houses regularly in chancery, because I found these weekly open houses very useful for our domestic workers and other workers to meet me and directly convey their difficulties.

During the visit of India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar in June 2021, India had signed a MoU between with Kuwait for cooperation in the recruitment of domestic workers.

The Ambassador disclosed, this is the first MoU between India and Kuwait for cooperation in the recruitment of domestic workers.

The MoU brings the Indian domestic workers in Kuwait within the ambit of a legal framework which streamlines their recruitment and gives them protection under the law. It also provides for an employment contract which ensures the rights and obligations of both the employers and the domestic workers including by endeavoring to establish a mechanism for 24 hours assistance to domestic workers. This is in addition to the establishment of a joint committee for periodic review and assessment and to follow up the implementation of the MoU through annual meetings.

“Today’s Open House,” the ambassador added, “is a special session we are organizing to update the community on welfare of Indian domestic workers in Kuwait and also on the implementation of the MoU on cooperation on the recruitment of domestic workers which has now been implemented.”

“The MoU was signed by me on behalf of the Government of India, and HE Majdi Ahmad Al-Dhafiri, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs signed on behalf of the Government of the State of Kuwait. Both the governments have now completed the internal legal procedures and have now implemented the MoU. This MoU, the Indian envoy said, addresses most of the issues of concern for Indian domestic workers and Kuwaiti employers by streamlining the procedure for recruitment and also ensure the welfare and working conditions of Indian domestic workers.