Kuwaiti Mp Calls For Deportation Of Two Million Expats; 5% Tax On Remittances

A National Assembly member continued her crusade against foreigners, calling for two million expatriates to be expelled over the coming five years, in order for Kuwaitis to make up the majority of the population.

“Reforming the imbalance in the demographic structure is an urgent necessity and a national requirement, because it is illogical that citizens are a minority in their home country,” said MP Safa Al Hashim.

The lawmaker, who has been vehemently campaigning against expatriates for the past few years, called for reducing the number of expatriates so as to make Kuwaitis more than 50 per cent of the population.

Kuwaitis currently make up less than 30 percent of the 4.7 million population – they number 1.4 million against 3.3 million expatriates.

Al Hashem said that the overall number of expatriates must be reduced to under 1.4 million, which means expelling some two million foreigners.

“We are not against any honest expat whose skills are needed by the country, but we are against crowding, unproductive expatriates who have not left any breathing space for Kuwaitis,” said the lawmaker.

During the Eid holidays, Al Hashem lashed out at expatriates for “littering” the beaches in the country and called in statements to local newspapers for imposing charges on them or barring them from the sea.

Al Hashem, who is a member of the National Assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee, said there is a draft law ready in the Assembly proposing to impose a five per cent tax on all remittances by expatriates.

She claimed that expatriates sent KD20 billion in remittances to their home countries over the past five years, claiming that massive transfers are hurting the national economy.

The lawmaker also wondered why Egyptians are launching a campaign against Syrians living in Egypt, accusing them of taking over their businesses, while they protest strongly when similar calls are made in Kuwait.

SOURCE : GDN ONLINE

Comments Post Comment

Leave a Comment

Submit