Kuwait: 1) Is an unaccompanied female Muslim (Shi'ite) Lebanese citizen, resident of Kuwait, eligible to work in Kuwait; 2) Are her children allowed to attend school in Kuwait?

1)       Only 40 percent of the Kuwait population are citizens, the rest are expatriates. [ John Kifner, "6 Kuwait Shiite Terrorists Condemned", The New York Times, 7 June 1987.] Non-Kuwaitis (over the age of 21) must have the sponsorship of a Kuwaiti employer to remain in Kuwait. [ George Kurian, Encyclopedia of the Third World, Volume II, 1987, p. 1115; U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1989), states that the sponsorship must be by a Kuwaiti citizen (without stipulating that they be an employer) p. 1402.] Expatriate workers are not given permanent residence status, and unemployment can lead to the expulsion of aliens from Kuwait. [Owen, R. Migrant Workers in the Gulf, (London: Minority Rights Group Report No. 68, 1985), p. 11.] A recent exception to this rule is that of Palestinians in possession of Jordanian passports, or Lebanese or Arab laissez-passers, who can remain without sponsors. [ U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1989), p. 1402.]

A wife and any children under the age of 21 are covered under the visa of an employed expatriate worker. [External Affairs Canada, 24 October 1989.] If the employee leaves the country for a short period of time, as in the case of a vacation, the family is permitted to stay, but if the employee leaves permanently (the job terminates or the visa expires), then the family must also leave. Dependents of an employee can apply for their own visas. [ External Affairs Canada.]

In 1985, women accounted for approximately 19 percent of the total paid labour force, and Kuwaiti women have begun to compete for government and corporate jobs. [ George Kurian, Encyclopedia of the Third World, Third Edition, (New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1987), p. 1114 and U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1989), p. 1404.] Please refer to the attached pages from the U.S. Department of State Country Reports 1988. The report does not indicate whether the presence or absence of the husband of a female expatriate would negatively affect her rights. However, information available to External Affairs Canada suggests that women can apply for work permits regardless of marital status. [ External Affairs Canada, 24 October 1989.]

The Shi'ite population in Kuwait has experienced increasing difficulties in recent years because of Shi'ite terrorist activities in the country. In 1987, the government began to move Shi'ites out of key military posts and other sectors in response to security concerns arising from the discovery of a buried arsenal (of guns and bombs) linked to Shi'ites. [ John Kifner, "6 Kuwaiti Shiite Terrorists Condemned", The New York Times, 7 June 1987.] In January 1987, sabotage of oilfields and docks was claimed by a Beirut-based group calling themselves "Forces of the Prophet Mohammed in Kuwait". [ John Kifner, "Kuwait's Rich, Stable Society is Torn by Iraq-Iran Conflict", The New York Times, 19 June 1987.] Hezbollah, a Shi'ite fundamentalist group active in Lebanon and Iran, has also been implicated in the distribution of pamphlets calling the Kuwait government "evil". [ Ibid. ] Of the approximately 1.6 million people in Kuwait, one third are Shi'ites, including expatriates from Iran, Lebanon and Pakistan. [ John Kifner, "Kuwait's Rich, Stable Society is Torn by Iraq-Iran Conflict", The New York Times, 19 June 1987.]

The employment situation for all foreigners has undergone changes since 1986, when the government decided to lay off 30,000 expatriate workers. [ "Kuwait to Drop 30,000 Workers", The Globe and Mail, 30 May 1986] During 1987, the government tightened up regulations on entry, residence and naturalization of foreigners. [ "Kuwait Tightens Entry Regulations for Foreigners", Reuters, 5 August 1987].

2)             Restrictions on education have been imposed on non-Kuwaiti residents. Although education is free and compulsory for Kuwaiti citizens, according to the U.S. Department of State Country Report 1988, public schooling is only offered to children of expatriates who arrived in Kuwait before 1957. [ U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1989), p. 1405.] The report further states that foreign residents do not enjoy the same rights and benefits as Kuwaitis. Another source maintains that "resident expatriates are entitled to some medical benefits and to elementary and secondary schooling (but not kindergarten) for their children in the public schools". [ George Kurian, Encyclopedia of the Third World, Volume II, 1987, p. 1115.] Sources available to External Affairs Canada indicate that expatriate children have access to education in Kuwait.