publish time

23/06/2022

author name Arab Times

publish time

23/06/2022

KUWAIT CITY, June 23: According to a senior security source, about 10,800 residents who were in violation of the residency law were deported during the period from January 1 to June 20, reports Al-Seyassah daily. In a press statement, the source explained that most of the deportees were marginal workers residing in bachelors’ residential areas such as Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Mahboula, Shuwaikh Industrial Area, Bneid Al-Gar, Wafra Farms and Abdali area. The security campaigns are continuing, and are not exclusive to one region without another.

The source denied the report about the violating workers fleeing from Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and migrating to other areas in order to escape the intensive security campaigns, insisting that there is a security cordon and continuous monitoring of the situation. He highlighted that First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf and the Undersecretary of the ministry Lieutenant General Anwar Al-Barjas have been diligently following up on a daily basis the file related to violators of the residency law and security campaigns. He said, “There is absolutely no problem for anyone who resides in any of these areas as long as his residency is valid and his status is legally sound”.

The source said he is expecting a significant increase in the number of violators who will be caught during the next stage if the security campaigns continue in the same momentum, especially with the resumption of commercial flights with full capacity at the international airport. He indicated that stopping and reducing flights during the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most prominent obstacles. The source said, “Now that aviation has become available, there are no obstacles in speedy deportation. There is no pressure from embassies or diplomatic missions in this file, because the file of reforming the demographic structure and getting rid of workers in violation of the residence law enjoys the full support of the political leadership”.

Revealing the existence of a control room followed up by the minister and undersecretary, he explained that specific and strict instructions were issued to everyone to close the doors of intercession (wasta) and interventions to exclude any violator from the deportation decision, and to take the deportation measures quickly in coordination with the embassy of the country the violator belongs to. This is particularly necessary if it is permissible for the person to travel either with an expired document, or without a passport, which could be missing or in the possession of his sponsor.

Also, there is a hotline number for helping with the procedures until the worker’s departure. Regarding the responsibility of the sponsors if their violating workers are caught, the source said, “The procedures include placing a block on the sponsor, so that he adjusts his status with the Public Authority for Manpower and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and obligating him to pay the value of the flight ticket for his violating worker, which is paid from the budget of the Ministry of Interior and subsequently collected from business owners and employers”. Finally, the source praised the results of the electronic linking among the various departments (public security, immigration investigations and the criminal enforcement department), as this has contributed significantly to the success of the deportations.