MoI to begin crack-down on illegal residents after deadline

Ministry of Interior (MoI) has announced that with only ten days remaining until its deadline for residency violators expires, those wanting to do so should immediately rectify their illegal status or leave the country.

The ministry also emphasized its commitment to making the rectification or exit process easier for those who want to avail of the grace-period conditions. It noted that over the past two months, residence departments across Kuwait have been handling an average of 1,000 visits daily by violators seeking to address their residency issues.

Highlighting the features of the three-month grace period offered by the government, Assistant Director General at the Residency Affairs Department, Brigadier Mazid Al Mutairi said that the amnesty window started on 17 March and ends on 17 June. Al Mutairi called it a “golden opportunity for violators to regularize their status or leave and potentially return without hindrance”.

He added that violators wishing to leave will have their residency violation fines waived but must settle any debts to government entities, companies, or individuals before departure. Those opting to adjust their status must pay their residency violation fines. He added that if a violator does not have a passport, they can get travel documents from their embassy, and noted that several embassies are working with Kuwait to speed up this process for their citizens.

Al Mutairi stressed that there will be no extensions, and a strict security plan will be in place after the deadline to weed out remaining residency violators in the country.

He added that violators and those who help them will be caught quickly and dealt with firmly. Deportation and a lifetime ban on re-entering Kuwait, as well as all other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries for life, as per regional security agreements, are also guaranteed for these violators.

He also explained about the efforts being taken to make the process smoother, saying that six departments handle requests to fix residency issues during regular work hours. Additionally, there are two evening centers, one in Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate, and the other in the Al-Riggae area, that can help those who want to leave immediately. These evening centers are open from 3pm to 8pm and can help with fingerprint registration, data transfer, flight booking, and even getting to the airport for departure.