KUWAIT CITY, April 25: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor issues work permits to residence law violators who legalize their status during the amnesty period, Al-Seyassah daily quoted Undersecretary Mohammad Al-Kandari as saying.

Such candidates can request the ministry to issue new work permits for them, provided the companies where they were working or want to work are willing to employ them. “The ministry doesn’t mind if these workers want to take up their old jobs as long as they have corrected their position,” added Al-Kandari.

Indicating that Interior Ministry holds the prerogative of banning any worker from entering Kuwait depending on the case involved, Al-Kandari said normally workers who leave the country during the amnesty period or correct their status are not barred from re-entering the country. However, illegal residents arrested during security campaigns will be dealt as per regulations in this regard, he noted.

Residence law violators can either leave the country without paying fines or legalize their status by paying fines during the amnesty period which ends on June 30, 2011.