Kuwait to push out 1 million expats in next 10 years In response, the government has announced it will gradually decrease its dependency on foreign workers. Its social affairs and labour minister Thekra al-Rasheedi said: "The ministry will take decisions and measures aimed at reducing the number of expatriate workers by 100,000 every year for 10 years to reach one million." Explaining the reasons behind the plans a spokesman for Kuwait's labour ministry said: "It's part of the ministry's efforts to regulate the labour market, curb the phenomenon of marginal labour and restore the demographic equilibrium of the country." No new work visas will be issued from April 1 under the new regime although it is unclear whether existing visas will be renewed once they expire. Instead, companies will be forced to hire Kuwaiti nationals, with inspection teams ensuring employers comply with the new guidelines. There are about 350,000 Kuwaiti workers, although 80 per cent of them work in government jobs where salaries are typically higher. This presents a huge challenge to Kuwait business leaders in replacing its foreign workforce with locals. One British expat living in Kuwait City said: "Kuwait seems to be getting more aggressive in letting foreigner workers know they are no longer welcome. But this is a big gamble as it will need to quickly train up a local workforce to do the roles foreigners have been doing for decades. Kuwait has drawn criticism globally for plans to allow expats only to access medical care in the afternoons, unless it is an emergency. The anti-foreigner stance has seen Kuwait drop down the rankings when it comes to global travel and tourists. A World Economic Forum survey ranks Kuwait 137th out of 140 countries when it comes to friendliness, due to the government's attitude towards visitors.