- Controversy over expat deportees
- Illegal expats can leave without paying fines in April, can return in future
By B Izzak
KUWAIT: Interior Minister Anas Al-Saleh yesterday issued astern warning that the government will resort to extending the existing nightlycurfew to impose a total curfew if people continue to ignore complying withinstructions to stay home.
"We will not hesitate to extend the partial curfew or imposea total curfew if people continue to ignore complying with directives of thehealth authorities, especially outside the curfew hours,” the minister said onTwitter.
"Under these circumstances, staying at home is the rule, andgoing out should be under extreme necessity. We urge all to cooperate inconfronting the corionavirus,” Saleh said.
Authorities have repeatedly warned that expanding thecurrent 5 pm to 4 am curfew or announcing a total curfew remains a potentialpossibility as long as people do not stay at home.
The new call comes as the number of new cases has picked up,especially with the repatriation of hundreds of Kuwaitis from severalcountries.
The health ministry announced yesterday 20 new cases, raisingthe total to 255, as three more cases recovered, bringing total recoveries to67.
Ministry spokesman Abdullah Al-Sanad said 188 cases arebeing treated, of which 12 are in the intensive care unit. As many as 910people have been discharged from quarantine.
Meanwhile, Minister of Social Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeelretracted a statement yesterday in which she said a part of donations raised ina campaign will be used to buy air tickets for thousands of expatriates slatedfor deportation.
The minister said that nothing from the donations, estimatedat over KD 9 million, will be used to cover travel expenses of deported expats,but some of the donations will be used to fund shelters for illegal expats whodecide to go home.
The ministry of interior has offered a one-month amnestystarting from April 1 to tens of thousands of expats living illegally in thecountry to leave without paying any fines and with the promise to be allowed toreturn when the situation normalizes.
The interior ministry has prepared 12 schools in the sixgovernorates, six each for males and females, for such expats who prefer to gohome.
The ministry said that those who refuse to go will bepenalized and denied re-entry into the country.