Kuwait City A recent decision by Kuwait's Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour to close the files on 'bogus companies' who have been selling residence permits has resulted in tens of expatriate workers and their families being stranded at various entry points.
Local Arabic daily Al Watan quoted informed sources at the Ministry of Interior as saying that computers belonging to Interior Ministry personnel manning entry terminals show a 'Code 71' marker on private fictitious firms whose files have been declared closed by the social affairs ministry.
The sources also said that the new measure was recently implemented by the Interior Minister to ensure that all non-Kuwaiti residents are legal. The illegal residents however have the opportunity to legalise their status or face deportation.
The detained expatriates are being held until they can present a legitimate residence permit holder to pledge to legalise their papers or return them to the authorities for deportation.
The committee at the ministry which deals with employer/employee disputes have discussed the issue of transferring the residence permit of Article 71 companies and 20 workers have so far found other sponsors.
- The writer is a Kuwait-based journalist
