Kuwait will be giving a second chance to Filipino nationals who were not able to avail of the amnesty program of the government.
An additional five days will be given to Filipino amnesty seekers which will start on April 26 – 30. This amnesty program is available to all nationalities.
According to the interior ministry, the number of amnesty seekers is already at 1,400 aside from the previous count which is 482 (38 males and 444 females).
However, Philippine Embassy Welfare Officer Attorney Llewelyn Perez said that there are a couple of undocumented Filipinos who were not allowed at the amnesty processing sites for some reason.
“Unfortunately, some Filipinos were rejected, including those who have outstanding dues owed to local banks, individuals and telcos. They are not permitted to leave. Those with outstanding cases in the court are also being rejected,” the welfare officials said.
“The Philippine Embassy and all Filipinos in Kuwait would like to thank the Kuwaiti government for their generosity. We are grateful to all who assisted us. The Kuwaiti authorities helped and dedicated their time to make the process run smoothly. Filipinos also demonstrated discipline and we thank them as well for their utmost cooperation despite the danger, god forbid, of the coronavirus. Thank you Kuwait for this,” says Perez.
According to one amnesty seeker identified only as Bella, she was allegedly turned down yesterday upon her arrival at the venue.
“I came here on the advice of my friend. Since I have two kids in the Philippines, I want to be with them during this pandemic. I have a KD 2,500 loan at the bank – I’ve not paid a single dinar yet. It was not my loan – I only acted as a guarantor for my colleague,” says Bella.
“Now I have a travel ban and cannot get an iqama because of that. I wanted to take advantage of this amnesty, but I was rejected,” she added.
Other Filipino men were also waiting but their plea for amnesty was rejected.
“I have a UAE residency visa since I work there. Since there are no flights to Dubai, I tried this amnesty route, but I wasn’t accepted. My Kuwait visit visa expired two weeks ago,” says Jerry.
These are the dates and nationalities who can visit the amnesty center in Kuwait to avail of the program.
- Philippines – April 1 to 5
- Egypt – April 6 to 10
- India – 11 to 15
- Bangladesh – April 16 to 20
- Sri Lanka – April 21 to 25
- Other Nationalities – April 26 to 30
As for undocumented Filipinos and other nationalities, they will be given an additional 5 days at the end of April starting from April 26 to 30.
Outside the school which turned out to be a center that receives visa violators, a long line of Filipino amnesty applicants was pictured.
Those who will avail of the amnesty program of Kuwait will be allowed to leave the country without paying fines. On their future endeavors abroad, they will also be allowed to enter again in Kuwait. via Kuwait Times
