KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh said on Wednesday combating human trade and residency law violators are "related to national security and demography." There is high level government coordination in this regard to monitor and clamp down on companies and all who have a hand in these offenses, he warned.

In line with cabinet designation, a special task force has been formed to gather data, information and lend support for legal measures against culprits behind presence of "ghost labor" and fight residency traders, as well as for taking preventive measures against such offenses. One busted company is owned by a citizen, he said, adding that it had a file of more than 2,000 laborers and 577 workers who breached the residency law and had been blackmailed by the company, he said.

Saleh indicated at coordination with the Minister of Social Affairs, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeel pending measures by the Public Authority for Manpower to liquidate financial insurance presented by the company to the authority or the bank insurance to cover costs of extraditing the offending workers. - KUNA