KUWAIT: The interior ministry has refused to change a previous decision that prohibits the entry of citizens from eight countries into Kuwait without high-level security approvals, suspending all related transactions. These countries are Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen and Sudan. Informed security sources have indicated that the decision is periodically reviewed, but no new developments have occurred that warrant a change. Despite official requests from these countries to allow their citizens to enter Kuwait like others, the decision remains unchanged.

Sources revealed that embassies of these eight countries have submitted requests from their governments, urging Kuwait to lift restrictions on their citizens’ entry into Kuwait. However, Kuwait rejected negotiations on this matter, presenting reasons for the decision and addressing any issues that could contribute to lifting the restrictions. Some of these countries offered to sign labor and security memoranda with Kuwait to facilitate the entry of their citizens.

The sources emphasized that Kuwait responded by stating that the decision is not a principled refusal to allow the entry of citizens from these countries. Instead, it is based on pure security considerations due to the internal conditions in these countries. Kuwait expressed appreciation for its relationships with these nations and indicated that restrictions on their citizens would be lifted once the conditions in these countries improve.

The sources further explained that similar measures have been taken with most countries experiencing internal disturbances. The objective is to prevent communities facing internal unrest and protests from intensively bringing their residents to Kuwait through visits, family reunification and residency on company sponsorships. This is to prevent the potential infiltration of wanted individuals or security-threatening elements, a scenario not acceptable to Kuwaiti security authorities for the sake of maintaining internal security.

The same sources affirmed that residents from these countries who already have visas in Kuwait are not affected by the decision, and they have the right to return to the country and renew their visas.

Meanwhile, former lawmaker Abdulkarim Al-Kandari questioned the government on Thursday about the benefits and costs it expects from a decision it issued recently to allow expats to sponsor their wives and children. The lawmaker asked Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and acting Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al-Sabah if the ministry has conducted studies about the impacts of reopening dependent visas for expats on the national economy. He asked the minister about the number of dependent expats expected to enter the country as a result of the decision.

The interior ministry resumed issuing dependent visas for expats last month after suspending the procedure for close to two years, but required stricter conditions from expats to benefit from the decision. It said those who can bring their wives and children to live with them in the country must draw a monthly salary of at least KD 800, must hold a university degree and their job should be in line with their study field. It however exempted several categories from the salary condition.

Kandari also asked about the costs the government expects to bear because the new expats will benefit from public subsidies of certain services, especially medical care. He also asked about the expected financial return to public coffers from the entry of expat families. The lawmaker also inquired if the decision will negatively impact government measures underway to correct the imbalance in the demographic structure, which is heavily tilted in favor of expats, who form around 70 percent of the country’s population of 4.5 million.

Kandari also asked about the basis on which the ministry set conditions for the family visas and if the ministry has a mechanism to ensure that the university degrees presented are authentic. The ministry has also reopened visit visas for expat relatives, allowing those who draw a salary of KD 400 and higher to bring their wives, children and parents on a visit visa and those who draw a salary of KD 800 to bring their siblings.