General amnesty by Kuwait:

Only 5,000 Lankans accepted the offer

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Only 5,000 Sri Lankan's out of an estimated 14,000, currently staying in Kuwait illegally, have accepted the general amnesty offered by the Kuwaiti government to leave the country without facing any legal action.

The general amnesty offered by the Kuwaiti government for foreign nationals, including Sri Lankans, who are staying in the country without renewing visas, ends today. In addition to the above 5,000 another 900 Sri Lankans have used the amnesty period to legalize their stay by renewing their documents, an official of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) said.

During the amnesty period Sri Lankans in Kuwait who have lost their passports or visa documents or who do not possess such documents are able to return home without any punishments.

The SLBFE earlier requested those illegally staying Sri Lankans to make maximum use of the common amnesty.

The Kuwaiti government has said that they would strictly enforce the law at the end of the amnesty period on foreign nationals who stay within their shores illegally.