No amnesty for iqama violators

Interior ministry will not give another opportunity to iqama violators to correct their legal status with the possibility of being able to return without paying fines, Director General of the General Department for Residence Affairs, Major-General Talal Ma’araf informed.

Ma’arafi stressed the ministry, at least in the near future, does not plan to give grace period because earlier grace periods have not acquired the desired results.

However the door is open for any expat residency violator to pay the fines due and correct their status, provided that there are no legal restrictions, he added.

The government is preparing a foolproof plan to crack down on residency violators in order to deport them, adding that there are around 100,000 such violators in the country and warned people against harboring them.

He said any violator who voluntarily comes forward to correct his status will be helped, but if he is caught, he will be deported and blacklisted.

Government of Kuwait had issued an amnesty way back in 2011 for violators of residence law to leave the country without paying fees.