According to a report published in the Kuwait Times, the Ministry of Interior of that country on April 24 declared the amnesty to be availed by illegal workers and residency violators between May 1 and June 30, for leaving the country without any penalty or for regularising their status.

The Bangladesh government however will pursue the Kuwaiti government to regularise Bangladeshi illegal workers considering their plight following their return home, and the friendly relations between the two nations, sources in the foreign ministry said.

"We are not sure whether we will be successful in our pursuit, but we will continue to do so for national interest," said an official of the foreign ministry of Bangladesh requesting anonymity.

According to the ministry official, there are around 5,000 illegal workers in Kuwait from Bangladesh, but manpower exporting agencies estimate the number around 30,000.

"Expatriates whose residencies have expired or those who do not hold residency permits can avail of the grace period subject to a few conditions," the Kuwaiti newspaper reported quoting the ministerial decree issued by First Deputy Prime Minister of Interior and Defence Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah of Kuwait.

Foreigners who are in violation of residency laws and will leave the state within the amnesty period will be exempted from any penalty or fine, the report said adding that the decree is not applicable to those who entered the state after the date of issuance of the order.

Foreigners who will leave within the amnesty period will be able to return to Kuwait again through legal official procedures unless they are banned for reasons other than residency law violations, the Kuwaiti newspaper reported.

"The violators who will not leave the state within the period will be subject to legal punishments as applicable by the law and will not be granted residencies. They will also be deported from the state and will never again be allowed to return to the state at any given point of time," the Kuwait Times added.

It said those who wish to retain or renew their residencies in the state and are ready to pay the applicable fines without being referred for interrogation will however be granted residencies on the condition that they meet all other relevant criteria.

Sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment in Bangladesh said workers in the Arab state become illegal for various reasons including changing of jobs for higher salaries, and for living there without renewing job contracts.

"Our ambassador in Kuwait has already started pursuing the Kuwaiti government for regularising the illegal workers from Bangladesh. The workers will face serious consequences in their economic life, if they return home without adequate income," said the foreign ministry official who requested anonymity.

According to manpower agencies, high cost of migration, low salaries, and a decline in other facilities force many migrant workers in Middle Eastern countries including in Kuwait to change regular jobs and become illegal.

Some employers in Kuwait also do not pay as they pledged to the workers prompting the workers to leave the old job and join new ones leaving their passports with former legal employers.

Kuwait stopped hiring workers from Bangladesh six months ago without showing any reason. Manpower agencies however said a section of Bangladeshi workers there are involved in illegal visa trading, forging of work permits, and even in immoral activities, which might have prompted the Kuwaiti authorities to stop hiring workers from Bangladesh.