Kuwait grants general amnesty to illegal expatriates

The Kuwait government has granted a general amnesty to expatriates living in that country without valid visas.

The amnesty from January 29 to February 22 was granted through a decree issued by the Ministry of Interior of Kuwait on Tuesday, a release here said.

The amnesty envisaged that illegal residents or overstaying immigrants could leave the country during the above period through any port without getting permission from any authority and not paying any penalty. Those who leave the country during the period will be allowed to enter Kuwait again if they meet the regular conditions of entry and not banned for any reason.

They could legalise their status and continue residing in Kuwait after paying all fines and obtaining valid visa without being referred to the investigation department. The residency violators who were banned from travelling or have court cases should visit the Residency Affairs Department to discuss the possibility of getting valid visas during the amnesty period.

The decree did not apply to expats who will lose their legal residency status after the amnesty period. If illegal residents were caught during the period, they will be deported immediately.

Residency violators who did not leave the country during the period will face legal penalties, will not be given valid visas, deported and not allowed to enter Kuwait again.