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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Kuwait has not banned Nigerian domestic workers, says FG

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied reports of a new ban on its domestic workers in Kuwait.
  • The ministry clarified that a recruitment suspension, initiated years ago by the Nigerian Embassy, is still in place to address welfare and working condition concerns.
  • Both nations will continue diplomatic engagement to establish a framework for fair recruitment and improved worker rights.

Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted claims that Kuwait recently imposed a new ban on Nigerian domestic workers. The ministry stated that reports suggesting a fresh restriction are inaccurate.

The Ministry wishes to clarify that the reports DO NOT accurately reflect the current situation.

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokespersonClarifying media reports about a ban on Nigerian domestic workers in Kuwait.

In a press release, the ministry explained that the suspension of recruitment and deployment of Nigerian domestic workers to Kuwait was initiated years ago by the Nigerian Embassy in Kuwait City. This measure was taken to address concerns regarding the welfare, protection, and working conditions of Nigerian citizens in the Gulf state.

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.

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokespersonExplaining the origin and purpose of the recruitment suspension.

The ministry emphasized that the current situation is a continuation of the embassy's earlier efforts to safeguard its citizens. It added that Nigeria and Kuwait will continue to engage through diplomatic channels on labor and migration matters. The goal is to create a mutually beneficial framework that ensures fair recruitment practices, adequate legal protection, and decent working conditions for Nigerian workers.

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.

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokespersonReiterating that the measure is not a new ban.

Authorities urged the public to verify information from official sources, warning that misleading reports could cause unnecessary anxiety among Nigerians in Kuwait and their families.

The Ministry further notes that both Nigeria and Kuwait will continue to engage constructively through diplomatic channels on labour and migration-related matters.

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokespersonOutlining future diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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