Kuwait will grant a 45-day grace period from July 1st to allow expatriates to legalise their status or leave the emirate, the interior minister said.
Sheikh Mohammad al-Khaled al-Sabah told reporters last night that those who choose to leave during that period will be exempt from paying fines.
Once the period expires, the interior ministry will launch an intensive campaign to crack down on expatriates without valid residence permits, he warned.
In 1998, more than 4,400 foreigners left Kuwait during a one-month amnesty while another 15,872 legalised their stay.
In 1997, some 22,000 expatriates, mostly Asians, took advantage of a similar amnesty, with just under half leaving Kuwait without paying fines while some 12,000 paid for new residency permits.
Kuwait has a population of 2.2 million, of which some 870,000 hold citizenship.
AFP