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Dubai: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MSAL) in Kuwait is reportedly considering banning the transfer of Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian workers' visit visas into work permits, according to reports in the Kuwait Times.
A ministry official revealed that the ministry was considering the move following a sharp increase in applications for work permits from workers of these countries.
The official said that the ban would be coordinated along with the Ministry of Interior and would last for approximately three years.
The Ministry's immigration department has been asked to list all Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian workers who have transferred their visit visas to work permits recently, the Kuwaiti daily reported.
The MSAL official criticised the ministry for its failure to prepare any statistical analysis of the numbers of these workers in the country.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Director of border control at Kuwait International Airport, Col Bandar Al Thafeeri, is encouraging illegal residents to take advantage of a grace period being provided by the Interior Ministry for illegal residents to amend their status. The current grace period has a deadline of October 15.
Failure to cooperate with the new measures will result in subsequent visit bans and possible legal action.
He stressed that full preparations were being taken to accommodate the Interior Ministry's decision to offer illegal residents a grace period for departure from the country or the amendment of status.
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