Kuwait’s expat travel restrictions discriminatory: Rights activists

  • Date: 30-May-2021
  • Source: Kuwait Times
  • Sector:Tourism
  • Country:Kuwait
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Kuwait’s expat travel restrictions discriminatory: Rights activists

KUWAIT: Kuwait's recent decision to regulate travel and make it restricted for those who have received two jabs of the COVID-19 vaccine has faced a lot of criticism because it is limited to citizens and ignores expatriates who have complied with health protocols and received the vaccines like others.

Jurists and legal professionals said ignoring expat residents in Kuwait and depriving them of their right to freedom of movement despite receiving the vaccine constitutes a major insult to "Humanitarian Kuwait“, which promulgated its constitution more than half a century ago based on equality and guaranteed freedom of travel for all those living in Kuwait, not differentiating between citizens and expats.

President of Kuwait Association for Basic Essentials of Human Rights Dr Yousuf Al-Saqer said in statements published by Al-Qabas Arabic daily yesterday that there is supposed to be equality between all with regards to decisions related to travel for those who have received the vaccine, because they adhered to the protocols laid down by the health ministry, and this is a matter that should not involve any discrimination.

Meanwhile, member of Kuwait Society for Human Rights Hussein Al-Otaibi said there is suspicion of inequality under the current circumstances, because freedom of travel is