Kuwait Cabinet, during its weekly meeting Tuesday, Chaired by Acting Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah, approved a draft decree regarding foreigners residency.

The decree aims to prohibiting trade in residencies, determining the rules for deporting and expelling foreigners, and imposing severe penalties on those who violate the provisions of the Foreigners' Residence Law.

The new law consists of seven chapters that govern and explain the rules for the entry of expats, informing authorities, trading in residencies and related crimes and penalties for violators, the statement issued by the Cabinet said.

One of the articles prohibits “trading in residencies by facilitating the entry of expats through a visa or work permit or renewing them against money or benefits”. Another article prohibits employers from forcing recruited expats from working in jobs other than specified in the work permit. It also bans employers from allowing their employees to work for others without a license from the interior ministry and prohibits employers to withhold wages of their employees.

The law prohibits expats working for others without obtaining a permit from their government employers or from concerned authorities. The law also bans sheltering expats or employing them, whether their residencies are valid or expired, and bars renting houses to illegal expats. The new law obliges sponsors of expats to notify the interior ministry in case their visas or temporary and permanent residences had expired and they had not left the country. The statement did not provide further details on the new penalties.