Kuwait has said it will deport expatriates who reportedly took part in a demonstration against remarks made by the now-suspended BJP spokespersons against Prophet Mohammad.  The deported people will not be allowed to enter Kuwait again.

The action was initiated against the protesters on Monday as they violated the law of Kuwait prohibiting demonstrations or sit-ins, reports said.  The local authorities are in the process of “arresting expats and referring them to the deportation centre to be deported to their countries”, news agency ANI reported, quoting the Arab Times. The expats will be banned from entering Kuwait again, it said.

 Instructions have been issued to arrest expats from the Fahaheel area which saw a demonstration after Friday prayers, Arab News, an English-language daily newspaper published in Saudi Arabia, quoted sources as saying.  All expatriates must respect Kuwait laws and not take part in any type of demonstrations, the report said, quoting the instructions to authorities.  However, the nationality of the protesters was not disclosed in the report.

 Incidentally, Kuwait along with Qatar and Iran were the first countries in the Arab world to summon Indian envoys to their respective countries to register official protest against remarks criticizing the Prophet.

According to latest statistics, the number of Indian nationals legally residing in Kuwait has crossed the 10-lakh mark in 2019. The Indian community in Kuwait continues to grow at 5-6 per cent per annum.

The Indian community remains the largest and the most preferred community in Kuwait, the second largest expatriate community being the Egyptians, according to the Indian Embassy in Kuwait.