The residency affairs department stated that the number of people who applied to amend their status and were granted temporary residency visas in accordance with Article (14) reached 73,000 expatriates of all nationalities, and they were asked to leave the country within two weeks of the decision to grant temporary residency visas. The interim ministry, pointing out that the recent decisions of the Council of Ministers, regarding the closure of the airport and the land and sea ports, caused confusion with the arrivals, who wanted to leave and adjust their status, informed sources told Al-Jarida daily.
The sources pointed out that the Residency Affairs Department informed all persons who applied to amend their status of the need to leave the country after being unable to receive a residency visa extension. They can return to the country again with work or business or family visit visas, on the condition they pay the fines before leaving, and those failing to pay fines are blacklisted, and banned from entering the country, as they are considered to be in breach of the residency law.
The number of residency visa violators registered on the computer at the Ministry of Interior reached 186,000 of various nationalities and various residency visas, indicating that the pandemic has contributed to the increase in their numbers.