KUWAIT: Kuwait's Ministry of Interior (MoI) said a first plane carrying 300 Filipinos, whose residency permits expired and were allowed to leave the country without payment of fines, had left for Manila earlier on Friday. The flight was part of a process to encourage expatriates with expired residencies to leave the country without payment of fines, said the MoI in a statement.

It added expatriates were placed in housing facilities and offered meals until their departure, with possibility of them return back to work in Kuwait by obtaining new residency permits. The MoI had specified dates for every nationality with invalid residency permit to come forward and apply for a return journey.

The Filipino community can apply on April 1-5, Egyptians on April 6-10, Indians on April 11-15, Bangladeshis on April 16-20, Sri Lankans on April 21-25 and other nationalities on April 26-30. Expatriates wishing to correct their residency status should pay the fines, the ministry underlined. - KUNA