Get work permits or leave, Matiang’i tells foreigners

People lining up at the immigration offices at Nyayo House, Nairobi. Foreigners have two months to acquire work permits. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Foreigners who don't have valid work permits have 60 days to acquire them.

Failing to do so will lead to immediate deportation, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i announced Monday. 

According to Government records, only 34,000 workpermits have been issued, yet there are more than 100,000 foreigners in the country. Dr Matiang'i said foreign workers with no permits expose the country to insecurity and deny the Government tax revenue and Kenyans job opportunities.

“This exercise will take 60 days, which are enough to clean up the system by registering and certifying foreigners effective from today May 21 till July 21 and there will be five stations to do this exercise quickly.

“We want, for the first time, to come up with clean, new and searchable effective digital registers of those who have work permits in the county,” he said.

Successful applicants will be issued with electronic cards. Police officers will be issued with gadgets to confirm their authenticity.

Matiang'i spoke after opening the work permit and passport control sections at Nyayo House, Nairobi.

He said every year, the Government spends Sh360 million on air tickets to deport foreigners. Matiang’i said the ministry was working on a proposed law to see that deportees cater for their own expenses.