Crime in Kuwait
Encyclopedia
There is a low rate of crime in Kuwait. Incidents of violent crime
against foreign citizens are extremely uncommon. The country is a destination point for men and women who migrate legally from South
and Southeast Asia
for domestic or low-skilled labor, but are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude by employers including physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement to the home, and withholding of passports to restrict their freedom of movement. People from South Asian countries like Bangladesh
, India
, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka
and Southeast Asian nation like the Philippines
are trafficked
into Kuwait
. Kuwait along with Qatar
, the United Arab Emirates
and Saudi Arabia
is in Tier 4 rank which has greater wealth, but worst human trafficking situation.
Threat of terrorist attack
is a matter of concern. In the early 70's the terrorism threat was mostly against government targets perpetrated by various Palestinian factions. During the Iran - Iraq conflict terrorism was mainly by Iranian agents and supporters, where several bombings took place in public places including a suicide car bomb attempt against the ruler which failed. Also during the military build up for Gulf War II there was a heightened terrorism threat by extreme islamist elements with several attacks targeting foreigners. The government cracked down very hard against the budding extremist threat, and several high profile confrontations took place. That along with strong action by the Saudi Arabian regime, seemed to have eliminated or greatly reduced the threat and Kuwait has not had a terrorist incident since 2005. Several Kuwaiti men linked to extremist elements have been know to have gone to Iraq to fight coalition forces, but that seems to have abated as local Iraqi militants seemed eager to use them as "suicide bombers" without the persons knowledge or consent. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT) of the Government of Australia
reported there is a high threat of terrorist attack in Kuwait. DFAT claimed they received reports that terrorists are masterminding attacks against assets belonging to the Government of Kuwait, hotels, restaurants and Western interests. The United States Department of State
reported terrorists in past attacked hotel chains which they believed belonged to westerners. Western housing complexes were also targeted by terrorist organizations. Terrorism in Kuwait may include bombing, hijacking, hostage taking, kidnapping and assassination. Both military and civilians are the potential targets of terrorist groups. According to the US State Department, terrorists can target oil infrastructure, public transportation, schools, places of worship, clubs, shopping complexes etc. due to increased security measures in official US facilities. Although these places are potential targets of terrorist organization, DFAT emphasized "that attacks could occur at anytime, anywhere in Kuwait".
In the Corruption Perceptions Index
2007, Kuwait was ranked 60th out of 179 countries for corruption (least corrupt countries are at the top of the list). On a scale of 0 to 10 with 0 the most corrupt and 10 the most transparent, Transparency International
rated Kuwait 4.3.
Violent crime
A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...
against foreign citizens are extremely uncommon. The country is a destination point for men and women who migrate legally from South
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
for domestic or low-skilled labor, but are subjected to conditions of involuntary servitude by employers including physical and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement to the home, and withholding of passports to restrict their freedom of movement. People from South Asian countries like Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Southeast Asian nation like the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
are trafficked
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
into Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. Kuwait along with Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
is in Tier 4 rank which has greater wealth, but worst human trafficking situation.
Threat of terrorist attack
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
is a matter of concern. In the early 70's the terrorism threat was mostly against government targets perpetrated by various Palestinian factions. During the Iran - Iraq conflict terrorism was mainly by Iranian agents and supporters, where several bombings took place in public places including a suicide car bomb attempt against the ruler which failed. Also during the military build up for Gulf War II there was a heightened terrorism threat by extreme islamist elements with several attacks targeting foreigners. The government cracked down very hard against the budding extremist threat, and several high profile confrontations took place. That along with strong action by the Saudi Arabian regime, seemed to have eliminated or greatly reduced the threat and Kuwait has not had a terrorist incident since 2005. Several Kuwaiti men linked to extremist elements have been know to have gone to Iraq to fight coalition forces, but that seems to have abated as local Iraqi militants seemed eager to use them as "suicide bombers" without the persons knowledge or consent. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally...
(DFAT) of the Government of Australia
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
reported there is a high threat of terrorist attack in Kuwait. DFAT claimed they received reports that terrorists are masterminding attacks against assets belonging to the Government of Kuwait, hotels, restaurants and Western interests. The United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
reported terrorists in past attacked hotel chains which they believed belonged to westerners. Western housing complexes were also targeted by terrorist organizations. Terrorism in Kuwait may include bombing, hijacking, hostage taking, kidnapping and assassination. Both military and civilians are the potential targets of terrorist groups. According to the US State Department, terrorists can target oil infrastructure, public transportation, schools, places of worship, clubs, shopping complexes etc. due to increased security measures in official US facilities. Although these places are potential targets of terrorist organization, DFAT emphasized "that attacks could occur at anytime, anywhere in Kuwait".
In the Corruption Perceptions Index
Corruption Perceptions Index
Since 1995, Transparency International publishes the Corruption Perceptions Index annually ranking countries "by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI generally defines corruption as "the misuse of public power for private...
2007, Kuwait was ranked 60th out of 179 countries for corruption (least corrupt countries are at the top of the list). On a scale of 0 to 10 with 0 the most corrupt and 10 the most transparent, Transparency International
Transparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
rated Kuwait 4.3.