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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 November 1999 Issue No. 455 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 November 1999 Issue No. 455
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Books Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Migrant labour conditions monitored
By Dina EzzatAs Kuwaiti authorities continue their investigation into last week's rioting by Egyptian workers in Kuwait, officials in both Egypt and Kuwait are striving to avoid any politicisation of the issue.
During a visit last week by an official delegation to inspect the conditions of Egyptian workers and deliberate with Kuwaiti officials about ways of solving the problems they face, the decision was made to establish a joint labour committee to monitor the status of the significant number of Egyptians illegally working in Kuwait. This committee is expected to convene in Cairo on 18 November.
The riots were triggered by a quarrel that broke out on 30 October in the Kuwait suburb of Khitan between an Egyptian worker and a Bangladeshi supermarket-owner over the breaking of some China dishes. The conflict soon escalated and eventually Kuwaiti police had to intervene -- arresting tens of Egyptians and evacuating hundreds more from a neighbourhood that houses about 60,000 Egyptians, most with menial jobs.
Though the situation has improved, Kuwaiti police continue to keep a close watch on Khitan for fear of a repetition of the violence. Around 25 Egyptians are under arrest for alleged involvement in the riots, and it has emerged that many lack the necessary residence and work permits.
Domestic reporting of the riots has generally been sympathetic, with a number of papers running stories sympathetic to the plight of workers forced by circumstance to travel to Kuwait and seek work illegally.
"We are carefully following the investigation. We are in touch with the Kuwaiti authorities concerned. And, we are definitely committed to doing all that we can to protect the rights of Egyptians working in Kuwait," said Foreign Minister Amr Moussa.
Answering criticisms published in the opposition press that he should have travelled to Kuwait himself to review the conditions of Egyptian workers, Moussa said: "The Egyptian government sent a high-profile delegation that was led by Minister of Manpower Ahmed El-Amawi...We are all working for the same government. The government is keen on serving the best interests of Egyptians." The foreign minister added that he is following up on all the reports that come from Kuwait and is in touch with the concerned officials in Egypt and Kuwait. "There is no laxity on the part of the Egyptian government or any of its ministries on this matter," he added.
Both Egypt and Kuwait have been keen to play down the affair in official statements, refusing to allow any escalation that might result in political tensions between the two countries.
High-ranking Kuwaiti officials have stated that the violence, to a great extent, is a result of the conditions faced by Egyptian workers brought to the country by local contractors who then fail to provide long term contracts or security. One Kuwaiti official went so far as to say that the treatment to which these workers are subjected sometimes amounts to "slavery".
It is a view shared by the Arab Organisation for Human Rights and the Kuwaiti Organisation for Human Rights. Both accused the Kuwaiti government of failing to provide adequate provision for Egyptians who find themselves at the mercy of Kuwaiti contractors.
The Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights [EOHR] echoed such concerns. "These incidents are only a reflection of the tragic conditions under which Egyptian workers are living", a statement by the EHOR said. The statement praised Kuwaiti officials for being "aware" of the negative implications of the current employment system and urged them to work towards its improvement.
There are currently about 200,000 Egyptians working legally in Kuwait. Their working conditions are regularly monitored by the joint Egyptian-Kuwaiti committee that convenes twice a year.
