Kuwait to deport expats living in illegal housing within 3 to 4 days
Following Al Mangaf fire, Kuwait intensifies crackdown on housing violations
Dubai: The Kuwaiti government has announced that expatriates found living in accommodations that do not meet legal standards will be deported within 3 to 4 days.
The move comes as part of the government’s commitment to maintaining housing regulations and ensuring safe living conditions for all residents.
A government source clarified that there will be no new shelter centres established for these workers, as the current facilities are deemed sufficient to meet the existing needs.
The government believes that the current infrastructure is adequate to accommodate any individuals displaced as a result of these enforcement actions.
The announcement follows the recent devastating fire, which occurred on July 12 in the southern Ahmadi Governorate.
The fire was ignited by an electrical short circuit in the guard’s room on the ground floor of a seven-story building.
The blaze resulted in the deaths of 50 individuals, including 46 Indians, three Filipinos, and one unidentified person.
The building housed 196 migrant workers, with the majority being Indian nationals.
Remand for 8 extended
Meanwhile, an investigative judge in Kuwait has ordered extended the remand for eight people of different nationalities for two more weeks.
The eight are four Egyptians, three Indians and a Kuwaiti national charged with manslaughter, wrongful injury and negligence linked to the blaze, Al Qabas newspaper reported.
The accused have denied the charges and demanded their release, a request that was turned down, it added.
In the wake of the tragedy, prosecutors initially ordered the jailing of two expatriates and a Kuwaiti man pending investigations on charges of manslaughter and wrongful injury resulting from negligence in adopting security and safety measures in the building.
Moreover, senior municipal officials in Al Ahmadi governorate administratively overseeing Mangaf were suspended from duty pending the completion of investigations.