Kuwait did not impose new ban on Nigerian domestic workers, says Nigeria's Foreign Ministry

Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a clarification regarding reports that Kuwait imposed a new ban on the recruitment of Nigerian domestic workers. The ministry emphasized that the circulating information does not accurately represent the current situation.

According to the ministry's spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the issue originated from a decision made several years ago by the Nigerian Embassy in Kuwait City. This decision involved suspending the recruitment and deployment of Nigerian domestic workers to Kuwait. The suspension was put in place pending the resolution of concerns related to the welfare, protection, and working conditions of Nigerian domestic workers in the country.

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The Ministry wishes to clarify that the reports DO NOT accurately reflect the current situation. The Embassy of Nigeria in Kuwait City, Kuwait, had, a few years ago, formally written to the host Ministry of Foreign Affairs to suspend the recruitment and deployment of domestic workers/housemaids from Nigeria to the State of Kuwait pending the resolution of concerns relating to the welfare, protection, and working conditions of Nigerian domestic workers in the country.

The clarification follows international media reports in June that suggested Kuwait had restricted the recruitment of domestic workers from 27 countries, including Nigeria, under new labor regulations. These reports indicated that Kuwait approved recruitment from only 10 countries, with Nigeria listed among those prohibited as part of efforts to strengthen oversight and update recruitment procedures.

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Therefore, the issue is not of a fresh ban imposed by the Kuwaiti authorities on Nigerian domestic workers, but rather a continuation of measures earlier adopted by the Embassy to ensure the safety, dignity, and rights of its citizens seeking employment abroad.

However, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that this is not a fresh restriction imposed by Kuwaiti authorities. Instead, it is a continuation of measures previously adopted by the Nigerian mission in Kuwait to ensure the safety, dignity, and rights of its citizens seeking employment abroad. The ministry urged the public and media organizations to verify information from official sources before publication to prevent the spread of misleading reports that could cause unnecessary concern.

Nigeria and Kuwait are committed to ongoing diplomatic engagement on labor and migration issues. Relevant authorities from both nations will collaborate to create a framework that ensures fair recruitment practices, adequate legal protection, and decent working conditions for Nigerian workers in Kuwait.

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In light of the foregoing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges members of the public to exercise caution and verify information from official sources before publication to avoid the dissemination of misleading reports that could cause unnecessary concern among Nigerians residing in Kuwait and their families at home.