Interesting that this was published in Bahrain and there was nothing about it in the news today in Kuwait. Figures.
Gulfnews.com
Approval Required for Mixed Marriages in Kuwait
Manama: Foreign women who married Kuwaiti
men after January 2010 will need the approval of a special committee to be able
to live in Kuwait.
“The interior ministry has stopped stamping
residence permits to the foreign wives of Kuwaiti nationals and whose marriage
took place after January 1, 2010,” security sources said.
“These couples now need the approval of the
committee set up by Interior Minister Shaikh Ahmad Al Humood and which includes
representatives from the interior, foreign and justice ministries and the
National Security Agency,” the sources told Al Rai daily.
Mixed couples married before 2010 will not
be affected by the decision and will continue to submit the wife’s papers to
the immigration authorities.
No, here again the problem is the ministry of interior. What if these women have children? These men (Kuwaiti men) chose to marry these women, so their government intervenes in their personal affairs? The MOI has far more important issues to deal with in this country then involving themselves in the private affairs of it's citizens? Currently they are not getting high marks from a disillusioned public that feels that they are not doing their job, hence, the high crime rates and growing violence in the country. This is one of the most ridiculous countries in the GCC, really quite an embarrassment to the GCC - the mindset and priorities of this government is appalling.
ReplyDeletecon't In addition, I think ALL spouses of Kuwaitis should have a special visa where they can live and work in Kuwait freely in the private sector, but that would be too civil. Why should these spouses (men and women) have to change their visa to a company to work here in a country where they have direct roots through their family life like they are temporary residents? Think about that Kuwait authorities!
ReplyDeleteTo me, Kuwait is a place which exemplifies the phenonmena that people want what they can't have, so after that said, I think this will only entice Kuwaiti men more to marry foreign women, they will just go abroad to marry them like they prefer to go abroad for everything else. I guess that is why they said they won't stamp their residence stamp, well they can stamp it in other GCC countries and their husband can sponsor them there. Like everything, there is always a back door in Kuwait and lest we forget the Kuwaiti's dependence on 'wasta'. Oh yeh, the old pull some 'wasta' to get something done. With the corruption levels here, that will spiral out of control like the underground vodka sales. Get your priorities straight, you're embarrassing yourself Kuwait!
ReplyDeleteHoly Smokes! That may be a trial balloon, or something they are trying to sneak by. It's huge. And controversial. And possibly a first step towards further limiting roghts of foreign wives to the trough allocated for Kuwaitis, those big annual payouts, etc. In Qatar, American women who have taken their husband's last names have been required to use their maiden name, otherwise no medical care, no passports, nothing official from Qatar until the name is shown "correctly". Too many blue-eyed blond Qatari wives?
ReplyDeleteMore effing ridiculous barriers to everything in Kuwait.
ReplyDeleteIf someone comes to Kuwait with a PhD in nuclear physics, he/she still has to go to a million places, get a million rubber stamps and signatures - just to get a frickin drivers license so he/she can be out there on the road with reckless taxi drivers who are making less than he/she probably pays his/her maid (taxi drivers are under separate rules making it actually easier for them to get a license).
WTF is wrong with this country that they are causing additional problems to themselves?
Shouldn't the Ministry of Interior be focusing on more important issues like the increase of crime and how to combat it/enforce laws???
Approve a marriage? What a crock of shet.
I agree with ALL the people who commented above. Anonymous 4:55 has a very valid point: What you can't easily obtain, you want more. And again for his/her last sentence. Touche.
Oh, and why don't we make it more difficult? Why not require approval for Shiite/Sunni marriages? Why not require approval for people from North and South Kuwait. fuuuuuu
ReplyDeleteHow about asking WHY so many q80 men are marrying foreigners??!!
ReplyDeleteProbably cuz the q80 women are raised with the wrong values and priorities when it comes to marriage. Also, if you want to curb the "spinsterhood" epidemic, allow q80 women to marry foreign men and give them the proper rights to do so! Maybe then they will have to face reality and not be so demanding!!
This is freaking ridiculous... So now it is not my choice whom to love and whom to marry?! And how do we expected others would treat us good when we go to their countries if we don't treat them good here in our country?! The government is further limiting people's freedom. I'm not with the opposition and the people who are demonstrating in the streets nowadays but limiting and intervening to people's freedom like this would make the matter worse and give more cause for the opposition.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous makes good points, but I'd like to add that not everyone has wasta.
Quite frankly, I was hoping to hear some positive news with regards to the current violence levels in the country from the MOI and an outline on formative steps on how they are going to protect the Kuwait community, but as usual, we get something totally unrelated to the current crisis like this new legislation. Why do they feel this need to intervene in the private affairs of its citizens? To protect their male nationals from the conniving agenda’s of foreign women who are bound and determined to get their hands on that bag of subsidized rice, because quite frankly, I can’t understand why someone would even want a Kuwaiti passport if you have a foreign passport from a first world country. Please don’t play the victim here, because there are more than likely many foreign women who have regretted their marriages to Kuwaitis and have fallen victim to them in a country where the laws are stacked against them. I think I read the word terrorist in some context, really? And there are no terrorists in Kuwait, beg to differ, just speak to Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tami, Chief of Dubai Police. Maybe Kuwaiti men are bound and determined to get their hands on that Western passport, but wouldn’t that open a can of worms. What this government has continuously done throughout the decade is to fail to prioritize critical issues that plague this nation and this has been a stumbling block towards the development and advancement of Kuwait, on par, with the rest of the GCC. This government does not need to interfere in the personal lives of its citizens, but needs to understand it’s role for this nation as a whole and that involves their increase awareness on key issues like national security and the development plan for this nation, not destroying family life, but making Kuwait a safe place where families can live.
ReplyDelete@Desert Girl 8:59 AM. What I noticed during the past decade, is when the Kuwait government has serious issues, currently like the alarming crime rate, that divert the issue to a less important matter, because they lack the skills to address the key issues. What Kuwait needs to do is attract the correct foreign labor force to move this country forward. Most expats in the country are low-level, many unqualified workers, however, Kuwait will not attract the correct labor force unless they refine the foreign business laws and address the key issues facing this nation such as the growing crime rate, implementation of the development plan and immigration issues. The 'Big Guns' will never come in here with a government that does not understand how to priortize issues. Why would I want to deal with a dysfunctional government, and further why would I want to bring my family to live in a country on this level, it doesn't benefit me or my company. This is a perfect example of how off-board the Kuwait government is with the issues of this nation. They should be concentrating on building a new airport, a metro system, not worrying about petty issues like who their nationals are marrying.
ReplyDeleteMEOW!
ReplyDeleteLoving it!!!
This is so outrageous and just so sad... Punishing the very people who are most likely to be the open-minded, educated individuals who can make the positive difference that is required in this society.
ReplyDeleteI know there is a 'wasta' way around everything but isn't it just exhausting??
how can you all get it wrong?
ReplyDeletekuwaiti men can marry anyone
what they're putting a hold on is foreign wives getting citizenship
that's was what was in the arab times
Anonymous 6:26 - RTFA. It states "RESIDENCY" - NOT citizenship.
ReplyDelete