Kuwaiti authorities recently announced that starting July 2025, migrant workers will require permission to leave the country. They will have to submit a departure request form to their employer through the Ministry of Interior’s “Ashal” online portal or “Sahel” smartphone application and include the dates for departure and return.
This decision is an alarming step backward in Kuwait’s migrant worker governance. Instead of dismantling the kafala (visa sponsorship system) in its entirety, the Kuwaiti state is reinforcing it by putting migrant workers even further under the control of their employers and making them more vulnerable to exploitation.
There is no basis to Kuwaiti authorities’ claim that the exit permit will balance the interests of both employers and workers. Rather, the permit enables employers to trap workers in abusive situations and serves as a tool for retaliation.
Workers’ mobility in Kuwait is already restricted due to labor abuses, including employers confiscating passports, and the fear of employer retaliation, such as filing false absconding charges. Starting in July, employers will be provided with yet another tool of control by strengthening their ability to arbitrarily prevent workers from returning to their home countries. This could create further abuses in which exploitative employers could file trumped-up criminal charges against workers to prevent their departure.
Kuwaiti law previouslyrequired migrant workers to inform the Ministry of Interior of plans to exit the country and obtain government permission only if they planned to stay outside Kuwait for more than six months. Migrant workers in the private sector will now have to obtain prior permission from their employer to exit Kuwait regardless of the period they want to spend outside the country.
While workers may file a complaint with the Public Authority for Manpower in cases of unjust travel denials, many are hesitant to do so for fear of retribution by their employer. Moreover, migrant workers, especially in low-paying jobs, may not be aware of this option or have difficulty accessing online platforms.
Kuwait’s exit visa requirement violates international human rights law, which provides that “everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.” Restrictions can only be applied on a case-by-case basis for a legitimate and proportionate purpose, such as during a criminal investigation.
Kuwaiti authorities should immediately reverse the exit permit requirement and instead focus on dismantling the kafala system in full.
