Benin suspends the deployment of workers to Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain

In a statement dated October 19, 2026, Benin’s embassy in Kuwait announced the suspension of deployments of Beninese workers to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The measure also covers steps that could facilitate recruitment, including issuing criminal-record certificates. The embassy said the decision stems from reforms in Benin aimed at better regulating overseas worker placement, but gave no date for lifting the suspension. The statement did not cite documented abuses against migrant workers in Kuwait and the UAE as a reason for the decision.