Filipinos To Fly Out Free-Thousand Register To Avail Kuwait Amnesty

He explained that residency law violators who are allowed to leave during this amnesty period without paying fines are:

1. Individuals whose normal or temporary residence permits expired before Jan 24, 2018

2. Individuals who entered the country on visit, residence, tourist, multiple- entry or transit visas but the period of their stay in the country expired before Jan 24, 2018

3. Individuals whose passports expired before Jan 24, 2018 and have valid residency but wish to leave the country

4. Individuals who were reported as absconders before Jan 24, 2018 regardless of the type of residency they hold

5. Workers of the civil or domestic labor sector who were reported as absentees after Jan 4, 2016

Parents of newborns who were granted residency under them must visit the respective residency affairs department based on the address of their residence in Kuwait in order to settle the status of their newborns within this amnesty period.

Major General Talal Marafie called on the violators of residency law to either amend their legal status quickly by obtaining a valid residence permit after paying the relevant fines or leave the country during the period stipulated by the ministerial decision.

He stressed that those who rectify their legal status and continue to stay in Kuwait shall enjoy health, educational and other services provided by the government. Major General Talal Marafie affirmed that violators who leave the country voluntarily during this amnesty period can return on new procedures, adding those who are caught after the amnesty period will be deported and will not be allowed to return to Kuwait again. He affirmed that Ministry of Interior is serious in tracking down violators and will apply law on them indiscriminately.

Major General Talal Marafie urged the sponsors of violating residents to handover the passports of the violators so that the latter can benefit from amnesty period and leave the country unless they are wanted by law for any other cases. He indicated about an integrated plan based on instructions of the Supreme Command of Ministry of Interior to eliminate this phenomenon.

Major General Talal Marafie revealed that the total number of individuals who can benefit from the decision is 15,436. He called on all concerned embassies and consulates to urge their nationals who are in violation of the residency law to take advantage of the ministerial decision. 

Controls and criteria 

Meanwhile, Al-Anba daily reported that Major General Talal Marafie issued Circular No. 28/2018, which sets the controls and criteria for implementing the decision. The circular aims at proper interpretation of the resolution, clarification of the vision and development of the working mechanism. It has several points related to the violators and ways to benefit from the decision.

As per the circular, each immigration department shall assign a number of efficient employees to receive violators and complete the necessary procedures to address the General Department of Criminal Evidences so that regular work progress would not be affected.

Residency shall be granted to the violators of residency law if they are willing to obtain it and meet the necessary conditions.

Violators shall be asked to pay the relevant fines regardless of the duration of the violation and the nationality of the violators (except holders of travel documents).

The date of commencement of the violation shall take into account the normal and temporary residence permits and work permits that expired before Jan 24, 2018.

Those who entered the country on work permits or visit visas on or before Jan 23, 2018 must leave the country before Feb 22, 2018.

Those who entered the country on work permits or visit visas and whose residency period expired on or before Jan 23, 2018 shall be granted temporary residence but they must leave the country before Feb 22, 2018 unless they obtain a residence permit in accordance with the conditions prescribed.

Those who are reported as wanted by law for absconding from their work are allowed to leave the country directly from any port within the period specified in the Ministerial Decision No. 64/2018 irrespective of whether their residency is under Article 18 or 20, provided that they were reported as absconding before Jan 24, 2018.

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