The problem ofdemographic imbalance has become the talk of the hour with every change in theministerial or parliamentary formation in Kuwait. Until now there are only alot of media statements, but we have not seen an actual plan on how to resolvethis issue.
It is unfortunatethat when someone talks about the imbalance in demography, the quickestsolution that makes the headlines is to reduce the number of expatriates! Ipersonally feel that the imbalance in the population is not caused byexpatriates, but by granting Kuwaiti nationality to ineligible people. Isn'tthis a security threat, and what are the criteria for eligibility?
I am certainlynot against naturalization of non-Kuwaitis, but only for those who have providedgreat services to the country, especially Arab expats like teachers, forexample, and others who came to Kuwait in the early part of the last centuryand made a real imprint on the emergence of the modern state. But whencitizenship - which is a sovereign right - becomes a political means ofsatisfaction or punishment, this creates anger amongst some Kuwaitis.
Abdullah Al-Roumiis a member of the National Assembly from the first district. He has strongopinions against the naturalization of undeserving persons and has expressed alot of views against politicizing the subject of nationality. When statisticsmention a decline in the proportion of Kuwaitis compared to expatriates, thesolution does not necessarily mean the abolition of effective employment ofexpats.
We needcomprehensive treatment based on two things - the naturalization issue and thesubject of the residencies and fictitious companies that traffic in humanbeings. Because bringing in thousands of people for the purpose of making moneyis a clear violation punishable by law. I think the solutions must not onlyfocus on the ratio of expats, because they did not come by themselves butthrough visas. The companies that bring in large number of workers without realwork must be stopped and punished.
I think a realtreatment requires the removal of marginal employment and ending phantomcompanies. The naturalization of bedoons must be part of the issue ofdemographic imbalance and the government should be clear to those who concealtheir original citizenship and demand Kuwaiti nationality.
The fact is thatthe problem of the imbalance in the demographic structure is an old one, but itremained unresolved until it turned into a complicated and divisive topic. Whencurrent statistics indicate low numbers of Kuwaitis versus expats, we need toadmit that this is a result of the absence of strategic plans in determiningthe type of employment that is needed and those whom we don't want.
Many Gulfcountries are experiencing the same phenomenon in the composition of thepopulation, and perhaps the proportion of their citizens is lower than it is inKuwait, but with the presence of strategic plans, they have been able to avoidthe negative effects of this imbalance. I believe that the solution is simpleand linked to a clear vision, so we need a lot of work and fewer statements.This imbalance has clear effects on the state and needs a serious ending.
Happy New Year.
By Muna Al-Fuzai
Muna@kuwaittimes.net