KUWAIT CITY, July 28: Around 500 expatriates are in deep trouble because the Ministry of Interior has refused to grant them new residency permits even if they did not cause the delay in the processing of their transactions during the amnesty period, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting sources. Sources confirmed the ministry officials are currently looking into files of expatriates staying illegally in the country, who tried to avail of the amnesty granted by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and paid the corresponding fines but failed to complete transactions within the specified period due to a number of reasons.

Sources said the reasons cited by the ministry officials for the delayed processing of the transactions include bureaucracy in the ministries of Interior, Social Affairs and Labor, and other government agencies. Sources added some expatriates failed to meet the deadline because their sponsors returned from their holidays abroad only after the amnesty period. Other reasons mentioned were the closure of the sponsors’ files, which were put under code 71, due to certain violations; death of the sponsors whose families have failed to transfer the residency permits of their employees; and long hospitalization of some expatriates.
Sources asserted the ministry is trying its best to address the problem, especially since concerned expatriates did not cause the delay in the processing of their papers.