Kuwait City, September 4, 2023 – Kuwaiti authorities have decided to deport 10 expatriates who were involved in a violent clash at a shopping mall in the south of the capital, according to local media reports.
The brawl, which took place on Saturday at a mall in Al Qurain area, involved dozens of young men from Egypt, who used chairs, tables and metal rods as weapons. The fight was reportedly triggered by a dispute over an event organized by the Eritrean Embassy to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Eritrea’s independence from Ethiopia.
The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said that it had identified the participants in the brawl and that it would take legal action against them. It also said that it would deport 10 of them from the country as part of its efforts to maintain security and order.
Kuwait has recently intensified its crackdown on illegal foreign residents and violators of its laws, especially after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The country hosts about 3.4 million expatriates, who make up nearly 74% of its total population.
The Interior Ministry has asked the Education Ministry to allocate two unused schools to serve as temporary detention centers for illegal expatriates until their deportation. It has also warned that any expatriate who covers up or employs an illegal resident will face legal consequences.
According to official estimates, there are about 150,000 illegal foreign residents in Kuwait, mostly from African and Asian countries. The ministry has launched several campaigns to track them down and deport them.