Kuwait effectively bans entry to Egyptians while immigration rules are renewed: report

Kuwait has effectively banned entry to Egyptians and will issue new restrictions for the future, local media reported Wednesday.

An online platform used by Egyptians for gaining entry to Kuwait has been suspended until further notice after Egypt's embassy allegedly violated local labour laws, unnamed sources told Al-Qabas newspaper.

The suspension came after the Kuwaiti interior ministry effectively stopped issuing all work visas to Egyptians in September.

"Cairo did not commit to establishing an electronic service for the exchange of information with Kuwait, based on the agreed requirements. These include the data of job seekers from the first party and those wishing to work in Kuwait, with the biographical data of the worker according to their profession and the required number," Interior Minister Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled had said.

Egyptians wishing to enter Kuwait in the future will need a valid passport, pay a fee of $100, agree to a medical examination issued by a unified E-platform in the Gulf, and have a clear criminal record, according to Al-Qabas.

Egyptians make up about a quarter of the total workforce in Kuwait, making them the largest expatriate group in the country, the Kuwait Times reported earlier this year.

Kuwait is planning to lay off hundreds of thousands of Egyptians in the coming 12 months, according to reports.

Kuwait's government has recently looked to reduce the state's dependency on foreign labour.