Mohammad Al Afassi, Kuwait's Social Affairs and Labour Minister, declared that the draft of Kuwait's new labor law will abolish the sponsorship system, Gulf News reported - Opens in new tab earlier this week. Instead of the sponsorship system, a non-profit authority (assuming, a governmental authority) will be set up to oversee the conditions and status of migrant workers. The authority will assess the needs of the local market for expatriate workers and will be in contact with foreign embassies in Kuwait to satisfy those demands.
The revised labor law is expected to be reviewed once Kuwait's Parliament starts its new term in late October. Several representatives have already expressed their support to the planned reform, in the face of opposition from other quarters. As we've previously noted, abolishing the sponsorship system is a welcomed step forward, but handing over the care for migrant workers to a governmental authority, also has its problems.