Hyderabad, Nov. 14 -- The Kuwait Cabinet has approved a new draft residency law, modifying the previous 60-year-old statute, increasing penalties for violators, and prohibiting refuge for illegal expatriates.

The approval was granted during the weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by Acting Prime Minister and Interior and Defense Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah on Tuesday, November 12, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.

The new draft law aims to prohibit trade in residency permits or iqamas, establish rules for expat deportation, and increase penalties for violators.

The new law, consisting of seven chapters, outlines rules for the entry of expats, informing authorities, trading in residencies, related crimes, and penalties fo...