Kuwait lifts ban on Indian maid recruitment

Kuwait’s Residency Affairs Department has lifted a ban on the recruitment of female Indian domestic workers after the lifting of a bank guarantee requirement earlier this month.

The government of India introduced the $2,500 guarantee across the Gulf Cooperation Council in November 2014 amid concerns workers were being mistreated and facing payment delays.

Anyone looking to hire a female Indian domestic worker in the region was required to provide the certificate at the Indian Embassy in the country.

Kuwait Times reports that Kuwait halted the hiring of Indian workers in the sector in protest at the introduction of the measure, following calls for punitive measures from the country’s parliament.

Read: India ends $2,500 bank guarantee requirement for Gulf maid recruitment

A delegation including Indian minister of state for external affairs M J Akbar will visit Kuwait on September 20 to discuss bilateral issues including the recruitment of maids.

There are around 950,000 Indians working in the country.