KUWAIT CITY, Sept 16: A total of 100,000 expatriates — mostly Asians and Arabs — are currently residing in the country illegally, reports Al-Shahid daily quoting sources.
Sources revealed a study has been conducted for six months to determine the actual number of foreigners living in Kuwait illegally and the authorities in which they are affiliated. Sources confirmed the implementation of the automated system at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor has greatly contributed in identifying the bogus companies and those put under code 71.
Sources explained most of the marginal workers registered in companies under code 71 went in hiding, for fear of being arrested once they approach the ministry or the Immigration Department to check their transactions.
Sources said a joint committee, consisting of representatives from the ministry and its interior counterpart, has been formed to identify the illegal residents, especially the unskilled workers. Sources added the concerned authority is expected to issue a decision soon to grant these workers a grace period to leave the country.

In an unrelated development, sources unveiled the Ministry of Interior’s plan to form a committee, which will include officers from the State Security, Immigration and Airport Security departments, to assess applications for permits to enter the restricted areas at Kuwait International Airport. Sources clarified this step is aimed at protecting the airport to prevent any attempt to violate security regulations.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor specified a new set of regulations for dealing with excessive absences complaints to protect employees from the abusive acts of some sponsors, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting sources.
Sources said the ministry recently found many cases in which the sponsors take drastic measures against their workers for allegedly incurring excessive absences even if the employees have actually reported for work. Sources disclosed the sponsors’ representatives usually register the excessive absence complaint only at the ministry, instead of submitting the same to its interior counterpart.

Sources added the ministry also discovered a number of fabricated complaints on employee absenteeism with sponsors collecting money from the workers and putting pressure on them not to demand their salaries and other privileges, such as annual leaves, bonuses and indemnity. Sources affirmed the ministry included in the new set of regulations the need to also submit the complaint to its interior counterpart and it should be handled within a week only. Sources said if the sponsors fail to comply with this directive, the complaint is automatically cancelled. Sources clarified a sponsor, who wants to drop the absenteeism complaint against the worker, must sign a pledge at the ministry not to submit any other complaint against the same employee.