FG Debunks Claims of Fresh Kuwait Ban on Nigerian Domestic Workers

The Federal Government has refuted reports that Kuwait recently barred the recruitment of Nigerian domestic workers, insisting that no new ban has been introduced by the Gulf nation.

Instead, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the existing suspension stemmed from a decision made years ago by Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in Kuwait, as part of efforts to protect Nigerian workers.

In a statement released on Saturday, August 1, the ministry explained that the Nigerian Embassy in Kuwait had requested a halt to the recruitment and deployment of domestic workers until concerns about their welfare, safety and conditions of service were addressed.

It said the move was designed to safeguard the rights and dignity of Nigerians seeking employment in the country, not as a response to any recent action by the Kuwaiti authorities.

The clarification follows reports published in June claiming that Kuwait had introduced new labour rules restricting the recruitment of domestic workers from Nigeria, Kenya, Chad and several other African countries.

However, the ministry maintained that the suspension affecting Nigerian domestic workers predates those reports and remains tied to longstanding concerns over the treatment of Nigerians employed in Kuwaiti households.

The government also urged the public to disregard suggestions that Kuwait had recently imposed fresh restrictions on Nigerian domestic workers, stressing that the situation has not changed from the arrangement put in place several years ago.