VZCZCXRO9752
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHKU #0223 0240835
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240835Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2634
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 0237
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0314
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0875
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY 0066
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0212
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY 0515

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000223 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ARPI AND G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM ELAB KCRM PK AF KU
SUBJECT: PAKISTANI AND AFGHAN AMBASSADORS COMMENT  ON LABOR 
CONDITIONS IN KUWAIT 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 185 
     ¶B. 05 KUWAIT 263 
 
¶1. Pakistani Ambassador Mohammad Aslam called on the 
Ambassador on January 22 to discuss the ongoing succession 
process in Kuwait (septels) and bilateral issues between 
Pakistan and Kuwait. He also reported that the Pakistani 
labor community in Kuwait is faring well in general. He said 
that during his tenure of approximately three months there 
have been no serious problems. This echoes comments made by 
the Afghani ambassador to Kuwait in a meeting with Ambassador 
LeBaron on January 21 (ref a). Both countries have large 
expatriate populations in Kuwait. 
 
¶2. When pressed on specific issues previously raised by the 
Pakistani labor attache at a December 2005 meeting with 
EmbOff, Aslam acknowledged that problems still exist: 
employers routinely take workers' passports; workers complain 
of not being paid on time; and the sponsorship system (in 
which a foreign worker's right to stay in Kuwait can be 
rescinded by his Kuwaiti employer at any time) makes workers 
susceptible to exploitation. He cited a case from June 2005 
in which 400 Pakistanis signed contracts to come to Kuwait 
and work for what they considered good monthly salaries of 80 
dinars ($275). After paying exorbitant sums to get Kuwaiti 
work visas, the workers arrived in Kuwait only to find that 
the company they were supposed to work for did not exist. 
They then faced forcible return to Pakistan since they did 
not have legitimate sponsors. Aslam said his embassy was able 
to intercede on their behalf so that they could stay and look 
for other employment. Aslam also said that his embassy had 
succeeded in repatriating most Pakistanis who had finished 
jail terms in Kuwait and were languishing in deportation 
cells. Despite the existence of problems, however, Aslam 
seemed sanguine about the situation of Pakistani workers in 
Kuwait. 
 
¶3. Post will convene a meeting of labor attaches on January 
24th. Attending countries will include the Philippines, Sri 
Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Indonesia, in addition to 
the Chief of Mission from the International Organization for 
Migration (IOM). While Post has regular contact with the 
invited missions, the meeting will provide a forum for 
sharing information and identifying ways to assist the GOK in 
its labor reform efforts. 
 
 
********************************************* 
Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
 
You can also access this site through the 
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website 
********************************************* 
LeBaron