KUWAIT CITY, May 6: The Deputy Director-General of the General Immigration Department Brigadier Adnan Abdullah Al-Kandari was recently quoted as saying that until May 3, 2011 25,900 expatriates have taken advantage of the amnesty for illegal residents to either leave the country or correct their situations, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.

Of these 15,705 persons have left the country and 10,195 corrected their status, the daily added.
Earlier HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah had granted four months amnesty for illegal residents to leave the country or correct their status. The amnesty came into effect on March 1, 2011 and ends on June 30, 2011.

People during this period can leave the country without the need to take approval from any authority or pay fines provided they are not wanted by law in criminal cases.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior has come up with a new machinery to prevent wanted people and those with travel bans from escaping out of the country, reports  Al-Rai daily.

Sources say fingerprints of all wanted people and those with travel bans will be entitled into the database at the airport and the information can be accessed within minutes. The automatic fingerprint system at Kuwait International Airport has facilitated the process, said sources, adding it will prove effective in preventing wanted expatriates and residents from leaving the country.

In another development, the local labor market will be totally independent after the establishment of the Public Manpower Authority, reports Al-Rai daily quoting Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Affairs at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Mansour Al-Mansour.

Al-Mansour made the statement in the recently-concluded workshop organized by the ministry, in coordination with the International Labor Organization (ILO), to enhance the skills of the employees in the Labor Sector. He praised the continuous cooperation between the two institutions, adding there are more workshops, seminars and training programs lined up for the workers in the sector.  Meanwhile, ILO official  Ameen Al-Wraidat praised the good labor inspection record of Kuwait, pointing out it is one of a few countries committed to the international regulations on the protection of worker’s rights. He disclosed the workshop was aimed at developing the workers’ skills in dealing with foreign laborers, in addition to the international laws, regulations and treaties on organizing the labor market.