In November 2017 it was reported that up to 300 Nepali migrant workers employed by Kharafi National in Kuwait had been stranded for six months with no wages during that time and expired visas which means that have not been confined within the company premises for fear of being arrested. The workers paid fees to a recruitment agency. On arriving in Kuwait they found that their salaries were lower than had been agreed before leaving Nepal. The workers were also going without food and their living conditions had deteriorated.
In January 2018, it was reported that a further 5000 Indian nationals, also employed by Kharafi National, had been stranded in Kuwait for over 18 months in similar circumstances amounting to forced labour after the company partially closed. Around 1,800 workers had resigned in response but were stranded without food, water and shelter. They also faced unpaid salaries, took loans to survive and lacked travel documents. Some workers reported that their passports were being withheld by the company and faced fines for overstaying with expired visas. Others reported that they lacked urgent medical attention. Around 45 companies held a protest at the company’s headquarters.
企业
Kharafi National
- Employer
受影响的
受影响的总人数:
5700
外劳和移民工人: (
300
- 尼珀尔
, 建筑
, 未报告性别
)
议题
强迫劳动与当代奴隶制
,
食物权
,
招聘费
,
Failing to renew visas
,
Contract Substitution
,
Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions
,
Restricted mobility
,
扣留身份证件
,
Personal Health
,
Wage Theft
,
剥夺迁徙自由
后续行动: The Nepali workers sought help from their local embassy and their recruitment agency but reported there had been no progress. The Kuwait Ministry of Labour and Employment had promised to resolve the matter. Some workers who could afford it returned home but only after paying a fine for overstaying. In December, 21 Nepali workers were repatriated.
3,614 Indian workers reportedly filed complaints; the Indian embassy stated it had received 2287 complaints. Indian government ministers visited Kuwait to resolve the issue with the government. The Kuwait government waived fines for overstaying in 25 day amnesty for migrant workers. but this had not been confirmed. In July 2018 it was reported that around 710 out of 3,600 Indian workers who had left between November 2017 and April 2018 would receive compensation for unpaid salaries and benefits.
Nearly 150 Nepali migrant workers employed at one of the leading construction companies in Kuwait have been stranded for the last six months with no money and no valid visa...According to them, the company at one point of time had more than 2,000 Nepalis working for it. But, growing exploitation of workers for the last one year forced many to return home...The Nepali workers were promised 110 Kuwaiti Dinar (KD) during the interviews conducted in Nepal, which later came down to 90 KD when they signed the agreement. But once they paid the money to the recruiting agency, their actual salary plunged to just 70 KD...The stranded Nepali workers have sought help from the Embassy of Nepal in Kuwait and SOS Manpower Private Limited. But they say they have lost hope as nothing has happened despite making frequent rounds of the embassy...