Qatar starts evacuating Illegal residents
Qatar, Local, 8/20/1998

Police in Qatar announced on Wednesday that they will start as of Friday a campaign against illegal residents in Qatar. The decision coincides with the end of an amnesty period set up by Qatar for foreigners in the country illegally to correct their legal status.

Deputy director of the research and follow up department at the Qatari Ministry of the Interior, Maj. Ahmad al-Haiki, said, "We have given those who stay illegally a period of nine months to correct their conditions." He added that the police will start as of Friday to launch "random intensive campaigns in residential areas and work headquarters in search of illegal residents."

He went on to explain that the illegal residents face imprisonment penalties ranging from "one to three years with fees between US $3,000 and $15,000 to be born by the illegal resident and his sponsor equally." He added that among the 25,000 foreigners who live illegally in Qatar, just 14,530 corrected their situation within the given grace period. Some 2,839 asked to be evacuated.

According to the most recent census, the population of Qatar is estimated at 522,000. Expatriates, mostly Arabs, comprise two thirds of the population. Most of the illegal residents are from the Indian sub-continent.

Previous Stories:
  Emir of Qatar in Algeria   (8/6/1998)
  First municipal elections law in Qatar   (7/21/1998)
  Judgement due in Qatari explosion case on July 17   (7/2/1998)

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