The Royal Oman Police has recently announced an amnesty period for migrant workers with irregular status, allowing them to renew their residency or transfer employment within the country without paying fines incurred from expired visas.
In addition, all foreigners wishing to leave the country permanently will be exempt from fines related to the expiry of any “non-work-related visa” such as visit visa or family-sponsored visa. The amnesty will remain in effect until 31 July 2025. It is unclear whether migrants with expired work permits who wish to leave Oman are exempt from fines.
A number of embassies in Oman have reportedly appointed volunteers to help out their citizens with the amnesty process.
As with previous amnesties, the current initiative fails to address the structural issues of the Kafala system, which grants employers the power to renew or cancel permits. As a result, migrant workers can easily fall into irregular status through no fault of their own, with no means to regularise their situation independently.
Despite the amnesty, Omani authorities have continued to crack down on migrants with irregular status. Just a week after the announcement, the Royal Oman Police reported the arrest of several migrants for violating labour and residency laws.
Oman’s immigration and labour regulations disproportionately target migrant workers, while rarely holding employers accountable for creating the conditions that lead to such violations. Last year, Oman’s Ministry of Labour issued a resolution reducing the penalties for employers found guilty of labour law breaches involving migrant workers.
