A Kuwaiti court has rejected the petition of 10 domestic workers bureaus against the constitutionality of two articles of Domestic Workers Law No 68/2015.
The petitioners, who are owners of domestic workers bureaus and recruitment agencies, said two articles in the law that prescribed penalties to the bureaus were unjust, the Arab Times reported.
“That’s why we’re surprised by new laws instituted to regulate the recruitment of domestic workers,” the petitioners said.
The two articles oblige recruitment agencies to return domestic workers to their home countries if there is any hindrance to their services to employers. Agencies are also to transfer domestic workers to another agency if they do not have opportunities for them available.
Under Article 17 of Law No 68/2015, agencies that refuse to pay the costs of returning a domestic worker to his or her home country or refuse to reimburse the charges required of the employer will be penalized.
Article 51 states that in the event a domestic worker absconding, the Ministry of Interior will take action to deport the worker to his or her home country and collect the costs of travel including airfare from the recruitment agency.