Expats Sheltering Residency Violators to be Deported from Kuwait

The Ministry of the Interior has formally requested the Ministry of Education to submit two unused schools into detention centers for expatriates who have violated residency laws. Sources stated that those who aid residency violators will also face deportation as a consequence. Chosen schools located in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and Khaitan, will soon be handed over by the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of the Interior. The Ministry of the Interior will initiate restoration efforts on these facilities, transforming them into designated detention sites for expats who have breached residency law. This move aims to accommodate the number of violators, which will ease the strain on police lockups and deportation centers. This decision will intensify security operations in coming days.

The sources have further disclosed that the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled, alongside the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Lieutenant General Anwar Al-Barjas, have instructed security leaders to devise a comprehensive plan. This plan will involve collating data on violating individuals through the relevant departments within the Ministry of Interior. The objective is to roundup those who have breached residency laws, reports Al Rai. Currently, it is estimated that there are approximately 150,000 residence violators. Concurrently, the Ministry is increasing security patrols in areas know for residence violators, notably in areas such as Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Khaitan, Farwaniya, Mahboula, Amghara, Al-Mazraa’, and Al-Jawakhir. The aim is to apprehend these expats and deport them from Kuwait.

Expats found aiding violators will face deportation too. Moreover, any Kuwaiti citizens or companies complicit in violating the law by sheltering or concealing violators will face legal repercussions. In a related context, the sources reveal ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This collaboration is geared towards establishing a streamlined process with embassies from countries that have a substantial number of violators among their nationals. The intention is to expedite the deportation procedures, especially for those individuals who require travel documents to exit the country promptly. This approach aims to bypass the weeks or months-long waiting period typically associated with such proceedings.