Kuwaiti authorities announced on Wednesday a new regulation requiring foreign workers in the private sector to obtain an exit permit from their employer before leaving the country, starting from the beginning of July. The move marks a step back in efforts to reform the country’s controversial sponsorship (kafala) system.

According to a statement from the Public Authority for Manpower posted on X (formerly Twitter), “First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousuf Saud Al-Sabah has issued a ministerial directive requiring expatriate workers in the private sector to secure an exit permit from their registered employers before departing the country.”

The authority explained that the measure is a “regulatory step aimed at strengthening oversight over the movement of foreign labor,” and also seeks to “reduce violations related to unauthorized departures and ensure a balance between the rights of workers and employers.”