Manama: Around 1,100 Lebanese and Syrian citizens living in Kuwait will be asked to leave the country over their links to Lebanese militia Hezbollah, a Kuwaiti daily said.
The expatriates have direct support and organisational links with the group classified as terrorist this month by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Arab League, and condemned by the Arab interior ministers in the Tunisia Declaration.
Some of the men on the black lists have already been informed they had only one month to finalise their arrangements and leave Kuwait, Al Qabas reported on Friday.
Those categorised as “dangerous” will be deported immediately, the daily added, citing a security source it did not name.
The source said that Kuwait has received a list of names of Lebanese and Syrians who had been deported by other GCC countries.
According to the source, the interior minister Shaikh Mohammad Al Khalid had called for thorough scrutiny of the names to ensure everyone is treated fairly.
The GCC, made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has been tightening the noose around Hezbollah supporters and sympathisers.
In Kuwait, the authorities have decided not to renew the residency permits of five journalists and to ban six other media people from entering the country over their links to the militia.
The journalists reportedly worked for a Kuwaiti daily newspaper and a television channel.
Two other expatriates were told they could no longer be allowed to stay in the country and would have to leave within one month.
On Monday, Bahrain said it deported foreigners with proven links or support to the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, and said that the decision was based on its commitment to fight terrorism financing and money laundering.
The interior ministry said that people should be aware of the law that penalises cooperation with or spying for a terrorist group.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia has warned of severe punishment for anyone who sympathised in any way with Hezbollah.
The interior ministry warned it would deport foreigners who showed any form of support for the group.
“The Ministry of Interior stresses that any citizen or resident who endorses or shows affiliation to the so-called ‘Hezbollah’, or sympathises with it, promotes it, offers donations to it, communicates with it or harbours any sympathiser would be severely punished under several laws, including the anti-terror laws. Any foreigner will also be deported,” the ministry said in a statement.
