Manama: A senior Kuwaiti official has said the Gulf state has no plans to restrict the issuance of work permits to foreigners, whether Arab or non-Arab, after reports surfaced last week about a ban on Iranian nationals taking up jobs in Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Kuwait's Al Watan daily quoted Mansour Al Mansour, Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs, as saying: "We have not received any directives from the Council of Ministers or the Ministry of Interior, which are concerned with the security of expatriates, to ban anyone."
Several reports about a ban on Iranian nationals taking up jobs in Kuwait and other GCC countries came up last week.
The ban, according to the reports, was allegedly linked to the busting in Kuwait of a spy cell reportedly commanded by Iranian forces. Two Iranians were condemned to death by a Kuwaiti court for their role in the espionage ring.
Al Mansour said the social affairs and labour ministry was working on assisting foreigners in the private sector who have overstayed their residency to regularise their status after they get new jobs.
