Nearly 9,000 expatriates left Kuwait in the course of a 45-day amnesty for visa violators, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
A further 20,000 expatriates legalized their status during the amnesty from July 6 to August 19 but had to pay fines, an immigration official told Al-Watan.
Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Khaled al-Sabah ordered the amnesty, which is to be followed by a crackdown on expatriates violating residency regulations in the emirate.
Moreover, the newspaper said that a large number of violators, mainly Indians, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis crowded the airport to leave by Monday, the last day of the amnesty. (Albawaba.com)