Srilanka, March 9 -- Kuwait plans to deport expatriates caught begging during Ramadan amid a crackdown on the unlawful practice.

The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry has announced the arrest of 11 male and female expatriates involved in begging.

The ministry said the offenders included eight women and three men who hold Arab and Asian nationalities. They were caught begging in front of mosques and markets, the ministry added in a statement.

Some of those arrested had entered Kuwait with visit visas or family residency permits, while others are irregular workers who have no permanent jobs.

The ministry said legal measures are being taken against companies that have facilitated the recruitment of those workers in violation of Kuwait's law. ...