By B Izzak & KUNA
KUWAIT: Kuwait has been upgraded in the US State Department’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report from the Tier 2 Watch List to Tier 2, reflecting what officials described as the country’s tangible progress and collective efforts to combat human trafficking. Minister of Justice Nasser Al-Sumait, who also chairs the permanent national committee for combating trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, said the move highlights Kuwait’s “remarkable improvement” in performance and compliance with international standards.
He noted that recent legislative reforms included the issuance of a residence law in late 2024, which tightened penalties for trading in residence permits and criminalized employers’ withholding of workers’ financial entitlements. Kuwait also launched institutional reforms, such as developing a victim protection system and adopting a national anti-trafficking plan running through 2028.
The public prosecution said in a statement the upgrade came as a result of efforts made at the legislative and executive levels and following a number of practical steps. It said that it has reorganized the Capital prosecution to become specialized exclusively in dealing with trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling cases, besides unifying investigation procedures in such cases.
The public prosecution is a member of the permanent national committee to combat trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling, which coordinates efforts of various bodies related to combating such crimes.
Acting Director General of the Public Authority of Manpower Rabab Al-Osaimi described the Tier 2 designation as the result of “solemn efforts” across legislative and executive bodies, particularly in safeguarding labor rights. She emphasized the authority’s role in streamlining procedures, training staff and enhancing cooperation with local and international partners to counter cross-border crimes. She added that the authority improved the system of adding more protection to the rights of workers and dealing thoroughly with complaints.
But the US report said that despite the upgrade, some challenges remain, including a lack of progress in convicting traffickers and a continued need to address issues in the kafala (sponsorship) system. The US report said the upgrade “reflects a significant improvement in its anti-trafficking efforts”, adding that the government identified more victims at government-run shelters and improved training for law enforcement. The government also launched anti-trafficking awareness campaigns targeting foreign workers, the report said.
Officials stressed that while the upgrade marks an important milestone, it also places responsibility on Kuwait to sustain reforms, strengthen victim protections and address international observations moving forward.
