The Search and Follow Up Department at the Ministry of Interior will launch an intensive inspection campaign after the end of the three-month amnesty to book illegal residents and then legal action will be stricter against those violating the law, said a senior official.
In an exclusive interview with The Peninsula, the Director of Search and Follow Up Department Brig Abdullah Jaber Lebdah said that a number of people have already availed of the amnesty scheme and the turn- out “is expected to reach its highest by the end of the grace period, especially, because the beneficiaries of the amnesty can leave the country without facing any legal action or fines as they are waved during the amnesty period." The amnesty will end on December 1. 
There is very good response from the targeted segments who are coming to rectify their violating status, he added.
Asked if there was any plan to extend the amnesty period, he stressed that, in the view of the Department, the declared period is enough and so far the department is committed to follow the specified period for the amnesty, said Brig Lebdah.
Asked about the cases having no airtickets to return to their home countries, he said every beneficiary was supposed to bring the complete papers including air ticket.
“In case anyone does not have it, the Department may consider their case on a humanitarian ground through certain procedures, and we have received many such cases,” Brig Lebdah added. 
He further stressed that illegal residents could benefit from the amnesty if there were no criminal or civil cases against them.  “Such people can finish their exit procedures in 15 minutes and get an exit permit to leave the country,” said Brig Lebdah. 
About coordination with foreign embassies, Lebdah said that before announcing the amnesty, the Ministry of Interior through its Public Relations department had run an awareness campaign.

The awareness campaign in 11 languages including Arabic, English, Hindi, Bengali, Nepalese, Indonesian, Tagalog, Urdu, Sinhalese, Tamil and Malayalam to introduce the scheme and its advantages to the expatriate communities.
It also was announced in Arabic, English and Asian newspapers, and the embassies also advised their community members to avail of the scheme, which caused a great turn out of the beneficiaries at the Search and Follow Up Department.
“There was coordination with foreign embassies well ahead of the amnesty. Every embassy was supposed to have information about it. We also met representatives of many embassies in this regard and all embassies should have informed their people about the amnesty," he added.
"We should appreciate embassies like embassies of Bangladesh, India and Nepal as we have received many beneficiaries of the amnesty from these countries. The number may vary according to the number of the people residing in Qatar from these countries.
Our role as officials is to deliver the message to the embassies and the embassies have to pass the information to their people in order to get benefit of the declared amnesty” said the director of Search and Follow Up Department.
Asked if the Department has asked companies and individuals not to employ illegal residents who have violated the residency law, he said those employing such workers will face severe punishment and all companies are now aware of the consequences.
According to law No 4 of 2009, "All companies are aware of this law as a result of the awareness programmes we conducted in the past years. Companies more than the individuals usually employ illegal residents although they know it is against the law, and we take legal action against them," said Brigadier Lebdah.
About the importance of the amnesty, he said, “Qatar is witnessing an unprecedented boom in the real estate sector and many other fields. It is also hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 which makes Qatar a preferred destination for foreign workers seeking jobs. 
"We consider them as partners in the development of the country and their rights are protected by all governmental bodies,” he added.
Based on the previous experience of the Department, Brig. Lebdah expected that that the end of the amnesty period will witness rush as the illegal residents would postpone their departure until the end of the amnesty and he advised the beneficiaries to take tadvantage of this opportunity and complete the procedures quickly during the amnesty period.

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