Extensive and intense security campaigns will be launched at the beginning of next year 2021 targeting residency law violators who failed to take advantage of the December deadline to amend their status, which starts on Tuesday, and will continue until the end of this year 2020, Al Qabas daily reported, quoting informed sources.
Those violators arrested during the campaign will be deported to their homelands without the possibility of returning to the country.
The sources affirmed to the daily that there is the possibility to extend the visas of expats of countries whose airports are closed, as there is no way for these expats, whose visit visas expire today to leave the country. They are forced to wait for their countries’ airports to resume full operations before they can leave, while other expats must leave immediately before their visas end to avoid legal accountability. A bio-metrics data system will be used in order to blacklist them for ever entering the country.
Those who fail to leave before 12 midnight by tomorrow will be compelled to pay a fine of KD2 per day.
There is no intention to extend expats’ visit visas as there was already an extension granted during lockdown and curfew duration during the coronavirus crisis as most of the countries had shut their airspace.
Expats had more than 7 months to leave and there is no justification for remaining in the country. Failure to exit the country at the given time will see expats penalized with their names entered into the blacklist, and they will not be allowed to enter the country at a later date, and measures will be levelled against their sponsors, including preventing them from issuing new visas.
The source pointed out that visitors whose visit visas were extended could have adjusted their status according to the procedures or obtained approval to transfer their visit visas to legal residency.
The sources concluded that the residency affairs departments in the six governorates have completed their preparations to receive the violating expatriates who want to fix their status, starting from Tuesday, warning those who do not amend their visa status or leave after paying penalties will be deported immediately if caught and not be allowed to return to the country.
The sources told Al-Qabas about 140,000 expatriates, who are in violation of the residency law will possibly take advantage of the decision by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anas Al-Saleh, to extend the deadline that allows for those with expired residency or entry visas from January 1, 2020 and earlier, to amend their status by paying fines for illegally staying the country, and obtain a new valid residency visa to stay in the country. This is provided these expats meet the conditions for a new residency visa. Erring expats also have the option to leave without being referred to the authorities or being blacklisted with the right to return again after paying the penalties.
