Expat faces deportation from Kuwait for dealing in rotten food

Cairo: An expatriate, caught selling rotten food, is facing deportation from Kuwait amid a security crackdown on lawbreakers there.

Kuwaiti police had arrested the expatriate dealing in spoiled food and cleaning materials in Jleeb Al Shuyoukh area, south west of Kuwait City.

While touring the area this week as part of security deployment in the populous area, police spotted a person sitting in a dirt site with a table in front of him displaying food and cleaning materials for sale, Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anba reported, quoting a security source.

As soon as he saw the police patrol, he tried to escape, but he was eventually arrested.

Investigations revealed he was an Asian national, the source added.

Kuwait, a country with an overall population of 4.9 million, most of whom are foreigners, is seeking to address its demographic imbalance and regulate the labour market.

Authorities have recently launched a nationwide clampdown on illegal foreign residents who failed to take advantage of a grace period to rectify their status. Thousands have since been apprehended.

A new residency law, which came into effect earlier this month, offers potential reconciliation and the payment of fines by violators. However, this law does not apply to expatriates who missed the amnesty deadline that expired last year.

The amnesty, which began in March, allowed illegal expatriates to adjust their residency status or leave the country voluntarily without paying fines. The deadline ended on June 30.

Kuwaiti authorities have repeatedly vowed to show no leniency in enforcing the law and arresting violators of residency and labour regulations, stressing that both the illegal worker and the employer will be held accountable.