Focus: GS-II International Relations
Why in news?
A draft bill to reduce the number of foreign workers in Kuwait has been deemed constitutional by the legal and legislative committee of the Gulf state’s national assembly.
Details
- Kuwait is planning out a more comprehensive plan to cut down on foreign workers, and this has led to fears in India that as many as 7-8 lakh Indians could be forced out of Kuwait if the bill is enacted into law.
- The bill proposes that the number of Indians, who form the largest expatriate community in Kuwait, be reduced to 15% of the country’s 4.8 million population.
- The bill, however, proposes similar quotas for other nationalities too.
- With its own citizens turning into a minority, Kuwait has been working to reduce its dependence on foreign workers.
India–Kuwait relations
- India–Kuwait relations are bilateral diplomatic relations between the Republic of India and the State of Kuwait.
- Kuwait is the source for 10-12% of India’s oil imports while India is among the largest trade partners of Kuwait.
- Indians form one of the largest expatriate communities in Kuwait with their presence in white collar jobs increasing consistently.
- Indians have been described by the Emir’s special envoy as having acquired a special space in Kuwait as “a brilliant and the least problematic expatriate community which works for the overall development of Kuwait”.
-Source: Times of India
