Kuwait deports struggling Jordanian family after eviction, living on beach

Kuwaiti authorities deported a Jordanian family back to their country after they lost their means of income and were made homeless, Arabi21 reported on Monday.

The family-of-six had been sleeping on a beach in the Kuwait City district of Shuwaikh for over two months after the mother and father lost their jobs.

Prior to this, they had resorted to living in their car, which eventually broke down.

While some passers-by had assisted the family with donations, others made complaints to the Ministry of Interior, who then sent security personnel to handle their matter, eventually taking them to the police station.

The Jordanian father reportedly worked in the private sector, while details on the mother's employment were not reported.

Despite having a valid residency and no criminal records, authorities deported them based on Article 16 of the Foreign Residency laws, which instructs that people be deported if "there is no apparent means of subsistence."

Article 17 of the same law stipulates that the deportation includes the family members of the deportee responsible for their financial support.

In July 2021, the Gulf country deported a Kuwait-born Jordanian man for "joining an unauthorised protest", sparking outrage. The man reportedly took part in a demonstration against Kuwait’s latest restrictions on unvaccinated people in public spaces.

In the same year, Kuwait launched a crackdown on foreign workers living in the country with expired residency permits, with over 7,000 expatriates being deported in the first half of the year.