Kuwait’s New Exit Permit Rule Deepens Grip on Migrant Workers
- Human Rights Research Center
- 1 minute ago
- 3 min read
Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan
June 20, 2025
HRRC strongly condemns Kuwait’s reimposition of exit permits for migrant workers as a regressive violation of international human rights standards. This policy further entrenches the abusive kafala system and undermines the basic freedom of movement for over two million vulnerable workers.
![A construction worker washes his hands and face at the end of his working shift in Al Farwaniyah, Kuwait, August 8, 2024. [Image credit: Johannes Sadek/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Photo]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e28a6b_febdc1c40286460c9aea826197077966~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_49,h_37,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/e28a6b_febdc1c40286460c9aea826197077966~mv2.png)
Starting July 1, 2025, Kuwait will mandate exit permits for all private sector migrant workers, requiring employer approval before they can leave the country. This policy has sparked international criticism, with human rights groups viewing it as a step backward in labor governance and a strengthening of the restrictive kafala (visa sponsorship) system.
The kafala, or sponsorship, system defines the interaction between international workers and their local sponsor (kafeel), who is often their employer. It has been used in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Jordan and Lebanon. In this system, the local sponsor brings the worker, or the worker comes to their country without any social support program. Under these circumstances, the local sponsor takes responsibility for the workers' well-being.
While Kuwaiti authorities claim the measure is aimed at balancing rights and improving oversight, experts argue it grants excessive power to employers. This makes migrant workers more vulnerable to exploitation, especially given current abuses such as passport seizure, arbitrary prison time, and threats of fake charges.
Previously, workers only required clearance for long stays abroad, but the new law demands employer agreement for all departures, regardless of duration. Although workers can file an appeal with the Public Authority for Manpower, many, particularly those in low-wage positions, fear punishment or lack access to legal and digital resources.
Kuwait's approach is consistent with those of other Gulf governments such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which still require leave permits. Qatar has implemented partial adjustments since 2018, particularly in response to criticism ahead of the FIFA World Cup, enabling the majority of workers to leave freely. Bahrain eliminated the kafala system in 2009, but enforcement loopholes remain. In contrast, the UAE provides more mobility to international workers and prevents passport confiscation.
The decision will affect more than 2 million workers and raises severe concerns about abuses of international human rights legislation, including the right to free movement. Observers are concerned that companies may now unilaterally refuse workers the right to return home, even in emergencies or after their contracts have expired.
Human rights organizations have urged Kuwaiti authorities to change the exit permission policy and completely dissolve the kafala system, arguing that it legitimizes forced labor and calls into question Kuwait's worldwide labor rights obligations.
Glossary
Abusive - treating someone badly or cruelly.
Arbitrary - based on or determined by individual preference or convenience rather than by necessity or the intrinsic nature of something.
Clearance - official permission or approval.
Condemn - to strongly criticize or disapprove.
Confiscation - taking someone's property away.
Dissolve - to officially end or cancel something.
Duration - time limit or period of an event, action, or an occurrence.
Eliminated - removed or got rid of.
Entrenches - strengthens or establishes.
Expire - to come to an end or be no longer valid.
Exploitation - treating someone unfairly for personal gain.
Legislation - laws or rules made by the government.
Legitimizes - makes something seem acceptable.
Loopholes - weaknesses or gaps in rules/laws.
Mandate - official order or instruction.
Permits - gives official permission.
Regressive - moving backward or becoming worse.
Reimposition - putting something back in place.
Seizure - taking control of something forcefully.
Severe - very strict or harsh.
Unilateral - done by one side or party only.
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