Kuwait Arrests More Than 500 Illegal Residents in 3 Weeks
Kuwaiti security authorities have rounded up more than 500 residents for violating country’s residency and labour laws in the past three weeks as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegals.
The arrests included 120 illegals of different nationalities caught this week in security raids in areas of Jeleeb Al Shuyoukh, Al Farwaniya and Al Fahahil.
According to a security source, campaigns are going ahead to expose irregular labourers and “cleanse the country of violators”.
Kuwait has recently toughened measures against illegal residents and warned that any expatriate sheltering will be deported too.
Kuwaiti individuals or companies employing illegals will face charges of unlawfully sheltering and covering up illegals.
Last year, Kuwait deported record 42,000 expatriates for violating its residence and labour laws as well as for involvement in crimes.
Authorities there have recently put on hold a government decree issued earlier this month whereby illegal expatriates, who came to the country before the year 2020, were to get the chance to readjust their status in return for paying specific fines.
Around 110,000 foreigners were supposed to benefit from the short-lived amnesty, according to security estimates.
Foreigners make up around 3.2 million of Kuwait’s overall population of 4.6 million.
The country is endeavoring to redress its population imbalance and replace foreign workers with its citizens as part of an employment policy dubbed “Kuwaitisation”.
