Employers trying to hire Indian female domestic helps in Kuwait will now have to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 1.5 lakh before bringing in women from India.
The bank guarantee needs to be valid till the time the female domestic worker remains in Kuwait.The move comes after an order from the Government of India that aims to safeguard the welfare of its nationals on foreign soil.
The Government feels such a step will prevent exploitation of Indian women domestic workers, whose salaries are often held up by their employers.
“To safeguard the welfare of its nationals, India has made it mandatory for employers in Kuwait to submit a bank guarantee of $2,500 before bringing a female domestic help to the Gulf nation. A bank guarantee worth $2,500 (720 Kuwaiti Dinar) as security deposit would be submitted with the Indian embassy in Kuwait by the employer wishing to bring a female domestic worker from India to Kuwait,” the Indian embassy in Kuwait said in a statement.
The Indian Embassy will attest agreements for employment of female domestic workers in Kuwait only after the condition of Bank Guarantee is fulfilled. According to estimates, there are about 7.5 lakh Indian expatriates living in Kuwait out of which nearly 2.7 lakh are employed as domestic helps.