KUWAIT CITY: Egyptian Marzouq Mohammed will soon be thrown out of the country after more than 45 years
of washing cars in Kuwait to make ends meet as economic woes and coronavirus stoke anti-foreign sentiment.
The 65-year-old is among tens of thousands who will be forced to flee the oil-rich emirate, badly affected
by the crude price crash.
The cash-strapped government said last month that from January it will no longer renew work permits for expatriates over the age of 60 without university degrees.
The coronavirus pandemic, which disproportionately hit migrant workers living in crowded lodgings, spotlighted the presence of a community increasingly seen as a burden — particularly as the downturn snuffed out their jobs.
Business sense?
One famous Kuwaiti actress made headlines at the height of the panic in April by saying foreigners should be expelled to free up hospital beds for locals.
TV presenter Nadia al-Maraghi faced legal action for “inappropriate rhetoric” after visiting a holding center for foreign workers being ejected for visa violations, where she and a friend joked that they had to wear masks because of the stink.
While the latest move to slash the migrant population has been welcomed by some, experts say the decision will hurt the private sector and stifle consumption.
The restaurant union has warned it could hit businesses already struggling after months of lockdown.
M.R. Raghu, head of research at Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz), said the strategy was to create jobs for Kuwaitis while retaining more skilled foreign workers.
has vetoed a request to borrow 20 billion dinars ($65 billion).
incentives and wages from the public sector now make up three-quarters of the state’s oil-fuelled budget.
