Manama: Kuwait is deporting 1,053 foreigners detained in a raid on Jleeb Al Shuyukh, an area in the capital inhabited mainly by workers from South Asia and Arab countries.
During the raid conducted on Tuesday, 4,015 foreigners had their identity documents checked to ensure they were not overstaying their residency in the country or were not on the list of people wanted for felonies.
According to the interior ministry, the police secured the area to ensure nobody could escape before launching the procedures to check the documents and arrest suspects and lawbreakers.
Kuwait last month deported 1,170 foreigners detained in a massive crackdown in the Khaytan area carried by several security agencies that dealt with 3,548 people.
“The raid was part of the security campaigns launched regularly by the ministry to arrest lawbreakers, convicts and wanted people,” the interior ministry said. “We checked the documents of those detained and allowed 2,378 people to go. However, 1,170 were referred to the competent authorities for deportation. The list includes seven who were wanted in relation with felonies.”
The ministry said that 218 of the detainees had broken the residency rules and overstayed in the country despite the expiry of their permits.
Kuwait has been following a strict policy of deporting foreigners who broke the country’s rules or put people’s lives at risk.
Two thirds of the 3.3 million people living in Kuwait are foreigners, mainly unskilled workers, helpers and drivers from Asian countries.
