Govt warns Job-seekers to desist from going to Kuwait

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Francis Kasaila says Malawi Government is deeply concerned with continued cases of human trafficking to Kuwait and other gulf states.

Kasaila said his ministry had registered one complaint at the ministry headquarters with a majority of complaints registered at the Malawi Mission in Kuwait.

Speaking Thursday in Lilongwe, Kasaila said some of the cases were heart breaking and bordering on abuse like of one woman who was working from 6am to 12 midnight without any break whatsoever.

He said there are other cases of people being locked indoors without any chance of communication with the outside world.

Malawi’s foremost diplomat said an earlier stakeholders meeting held last week agreed to separate the two issues, human trafficking and labour migration issues.

“The [meeting] also agreed that the country has relevant legislation and frameworks through which trafficking (human and drugs) are dealt with. Enforcement needs to be intensified including increased awareness of this growing problem,” said Kasaila.

He disclosed however that, the Ministry of Labour, Youth and Manpower Development, will soon call for a meeting of all stakeholders to agree on immediate, short and medium term measures to decisively deal with the vice once and for all.

He further added that ”the meeting once called, will agree on a roadmap which will be closely monitored on ensure that it deals with all associated problems.”
Kasaila however called on all individuals travelling to Kuwait and other Gulf States, to make sure they have all details about both their agent and the kind of job and where they will be working and make sure all those details are provide to his ministry before departure so that the ministry through its Mission in Kuwait can ably help in cases of problems.

Malawi has in recent times seen a high number of its mostly young labour force trekking to Kuwait and other Gulf States for employment opportunities.
Recently one person was arrested on allegations of wrong doing in the Kuwait labour migration issues.