As our neighbors forge ahead to become more welcoming to expatriates, Kuwait yet again seems obsessed with its population infrastructure. In the latest report, highlighted in Kuwait Times’ article headlined ‘Govt tries to remedy population structure’ (April 19, 2023), the government has "agreed on serious steps that guarantees the reduction of expatriate numbers to 30 percent, while Kuwaitis will be 70 percent of the population, contrary to the current situation, as expatriates form the majority of the population”. While demographics is considered viable for new nations, it seems preposterous that we are considering such a move 62 years after our independence.The consequences of such a proposal are detrimental. First and foremost, it will entail deporting many foreigners from Kuwait for no legal reason other than "the replacement of expat labor [with] Kuwaitis”. Secondly, many expatriates risk losing their jobs although they may be more qualified than Kuwaitis in the field, merely for the sake of demographics. Thirdly, instead of rewarding all the expatriates who worked here to better their lives and our lives, we are punishing them because they hold another passport.Where is our humanity? There are expatriates who were born here and whose children were raised here. They are now at risk of losing their livelihoods even after decades of loyalty to our country. And finally, we risk proving yet again to ourselves and the world that xenophobia is overshadowing our hearts and even our progress. Our nation is being hijacked by lawmakers who seem determined to make the lives of foreigners a living hell. And for what? To better our lives at the cost of the lives of others? How can we sleep at night knowing we snatched away the livelihood of others when our lives are already extremely privileged?Mohammad Al-Marzouk, a renowned local businessman, in an interview with Nabeel Al-Shuail, a famous local musician, addressed our xenophobic attitude. He gave countless reasons why the integration of immigrants has benefited and can benefit our nation. He gave brilliant examples of how immigrants brought success to nations worldwide. Let’s hope that more Kuwaiti nationals in positions of power, like him, speak up. After all, only Kuwaitis can speak up. If expatriates express their opinion, they are at risk of deportation. And sadly, if this policy sees the light of day, they are at risk of deportation even if they don’t express their opinion.At the end of the day, what makes Kuwait beautiful is our diversity. It doesn’t matter whether there are more expatriates than us. What matters is whether we are becoming more or less humanitarian, whether our country is progressing or regressing, and whether our resources serve our community, regardless of nationality.Borders are manmade, and in this world of globalization, human beings are being given an opportunity to expand our hearts and minds, to awaken spiritually and look beyond passports and labels, while welcoming anyone who lives in our nation. Kuwait’s legacy should be built on inclusivity, harmony, and oneness rather than exclusivity, polarization, and divisiveness. Keep expatriates in Kuwait. They are our brethren and belong here as much as we do.