KUWAIT CITY, July 29: Several visit visa holders, along with their sponsors, have been referred for deportation for exceeding their legal stay in the country. According to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Interior, the decision to deport their sponsors, despite having valid residency, was taken because they failed to adhere to the signed pledge and the visit visa regulations.

Such a decision was taken by the Ministry of Interior based on directives of His Excellency the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah. The Ministry of Interior affirmed that it will spare no effort to hold accountable the violators of the residency law, which includes both the sponsor and the sponsored.

The statement explained that a group of women residing in the country had obtained visit visas for their husbands and children, using which they later entered the country. However, these visitors had exceeded their legal stay period. This was discovered by the General Department of Residency Affairs Investigations’ Department of Violators Follow-up, and other concerned authorities after following up on these cases.

Consequently, legal action has been initiated in preparation for the deportation of the sponsors, the women, and the sponsored, their husbands and children, for failing to abide by the pledge that was signed when applying for the family visit visa and for violating the relevant conditions.

The Ministry of Interior stressed that all visitors are required to adhere strictly to the specified time limit for their visit and must leave the country upon the expiry of their visit visa in order to avoid facing legal consequences. Meanwhile, Brigadier-General Mohammad Al-Wazzan, Director of the Capital Residence Affairs Department, said new amendments to the residence law are in the offing to regulate Kuwait’s labor market which is infested with illegals.

During an interview talking to NewsKtv on the program ‘Pulse of the Street’, Al-Wazzan explained the new measures have been prompted by the increasing number of residence law violators necessitating a review of the existing laws. He went on to say, the new amendments will introduce stricter penalties for both workers and sponsors who violate the law, streamline recruitment procedures, and enhance oversight on law enforcement.

Al-Wazzan emphasized the need to organize the labor market and accurately assess labor requirements. He noted that the amendments are designed to protect workers’ rights, create suitable job opportunities for citizens, and contribute to the country’s security and stability. He urged violators to legalize their stay in the country by correcting their status while at the same time highlighting the importance of cooperation between the authorities and citizens to regulate expatriate labor. Al-Wazzan said he is confident the new amendments will significantly reduce the number of resident labor who stay illegally in the country. He announced that the ministry will embark on intensive awareness campaigns to educate expatriate workers about the new laws.

By Munif Naif
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff