The number of expats with expired residency permits who are stranded outside Kuwait has increased to 127,000, reported a local daily, which is due to failure to renew their residency visas or some sponsors have deliberately not renewed them. Some sectors in government agencies including the Ministry of Education have not done the renewal process.
MOE had earlier informed teachers wishing to return to Kuwait from the country they were stranded after flights were suspended from Kuwait airport over coronavirus fears could return at any time, but the decision to ban expats from a list of countries announced in August has altered the situation despite the airport reopening.
The Ministry of Interior has appealed to expats who are stranded abroad to expedite the renewal of their residency (online) and set up facilities to ease the transaction, yet many of them did not take advantage of this decision which was taken from a humanitarian perspective.
The Minister of Interiors’ decision to extend the grace period for all types of visit visas and residency to those in the country for a period of three months from September 1 to November 30, does not include those whose residency has expired from 1 September. There are many expatriates whose residency expired after September 1, and they have not renewed their residency visas despite the department operating, instead relying on the exemption decision. Consequently, they will have to pay fines for their illegal stay in the country. If they are caught, then they will be arrested and deported and will be banned from returning to Kuwait.