Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Page 2 of 5 Director General of Residency, there "'will be some exceptions on humanitarian grounds regarding spouses and children'" (Gulf News 16 Oct. 2016). An article by the Kuwait Times, an English-language daily newspaper based in Kuwait, also reporting information published in Al Rai, indicates that, according to the Director General of Residency, [o]nly male expatriates are allowed to sponsor a family, according to Kuwait's residency laws. The average salary of a male expat in the private sector is only KD 247, according to the latest statistics. In case the husband dies, a working mother can sponsor her children, provided that her monthly salary meets the KD 450 minimum requirement. (Kuwait Times 16 Oct. 2016) According to Gulf News, Kuwait also increased the minimum monthly salary required for expatriates to bring their spouse or children on a visit to Kuwait from 150 KD [C$630] to 200 KD [C$840], and 300 KD [C$1,260] to bring a sibling or other relative (Gulf News 16 Oct. 2016). The new measures also stipulate that visas for parents may not be issued if they are over 50 years old, though exceptions may be granted (Gulf News 16 Oct. 2016). 1.2 Access to Employment, Health Care, and Other Services Without providing further detail, US Country Reports 2016 states that "[s]ocietal discrimination" against noncitizens was "prevalent and occurred in most areas of daily life, including employment …, education, housing, social interaction, and health care" (US 3 Mar. 2017, 26). A 2015 article by Al Jazeera indicates that "relations between Palestinians and Kuwaitis have improved" since the Gulf War, but quotes a Palestinian journalist as stating that "[d]iscrimination continues by keeping Palestinians from government jobs, as well as government schools and universities" (Al Jazeera 6 Aug. 2015). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a legal researcher at BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, "an independent, human rights non-profit organization committed to protect and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons" (BADIL n.d.a), with offices in Bethlehem and Geneva (BADIL n.d.b), stated that in Kuwait, Palestinians with work visas do not have access to public healthcare and education and "they must use private healthcare and education services" (BADIL 6 Nov. 2017). 1.3 Palestinian Teachers in Kuwait According to sources, Kuwait lifted its ban on hiring Palestinian teachers (Gulf News 21 Aug. 2017; The Arab Weekly 27 Aug. 2017, 20). Gulf News stated that the ban had lasted 26 years and quoted Kuwait's Education Ministry as having announced that it "would be recruiting hundreds of Palestinians to teach mathematics and science in its schools" and that the teachers would be "hired from Palestine or locally from the Palestinian community in Kuwait" (Gulf News 21 Aug. 2017). Sources indicate that 180 Palestinian teachers were to be hired in the subjects of math and sciences (Gulf News 26 Apr. 2017), including 90 female teachers (Al-Monitor 6 Apr. 2017). The Arab Weekly, an English-language weekly newspaper based in the UK, states that "105 Palestinian teachers" were hired (The Arab Weekly 27 Aug. 2017, 20). A May 2017 Gulf News article indicates that 77 Palestinian teachers had turned down the contract due to salary disputes (Gulf News 18 May 2017). A 2016 report by the Kuwait Times states that Kuwait had recently reduced "the monthly rent allowance paid to expat teachers in public schools from KD 150 [C$630] to KD 60 [C$250]" (Kuwait Times 16 Oct. 2016). 1.4 Ability to Travel in and out of the Country US Country Reports 2016 notes that foreign workers "faced problems with, or restrictions on, foreign travel," including that the law permits travel bans on citizens and nonnationals accused or suspected of violating the law, including nonpayment of debts, and it allows other citizens to petition authorities to impose one. This provision resulted in delays and difficulties for citizens and foreigners leaving the country. (US 3 Mar. 2017, 14) Further information, including information on the ability for Palestinians to travel in and out of the country, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2. Requirements and Procedures to Renew Residence Status Gulf News reports that in 2016, the "Kuwaiti interior ministry said that the Palestinian passport was not enough to grant them the residence permit that will allow them to stay and work in the country" (Gulf News 6 Feb. 2017). Another article by the same source states that this "legal hurdle was cleared one month later after http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=457306&pls=1 2/14/2018