Authorities at the Ministry of Interior are reportedly considering postponing the ongoing campaign against residency violators in all six governorates, in view of the overcrowding at detention and deportations centers.
In line with guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health to avoid large congregations to prevent the spread of new coronavirus infection in the country, the security authorities have signalled that security campaigns against residency violators will be temporarily suspended. The move comes following increased congestion at the detention center due to a backlog in deportations, arising from the government’s decision to temporarily suspend flights to and from seven countries.
Many of those awaiting deportation are said to be from the seven ‘flight-banned’ countries, and the authorities are said to be relying on transit flights through other airports to complete the deportation process.
Streamlining of process had in recent months led to a significant drop in the number of those awaiting deportation, but all that has apparently been turned topsy-turvy by the emergence of COVID-19 infection.
Besides the lack of direct flights to transport the deportees, the authorities have also to contend with delays in various procedures that need to be completed before the deportation can take place. Sometimes embassies delay the issuing of a travel document in lieu of passports held by sponsors, or the sponsor is reluctant to bear the cost of the airline ticket for the deportee, or there are matters pending before a court that need to be resolved before the deportation can take place.