Amman, Feb. 19 (Petra) -- The Lower House of Parliament approved amendments to the Residency and Foreign Affairs Law during a session chaired by Speaker Ahmad Safadi Wednesday, with cabinet members in attendance.

The amendments, which will take effect 90 days after publication in the Official Gazette, include significant changes to the 1973 law. Legislators approved setting fines at 200 dinars for violations of Articles 11 and 14 of the law.

During the session, lawmakers noted that the cost of detaining residency violators exceeds the cost of deportation.

Parliamentary Legal Committee Chairman Mustafa Al-Amawi confirmed that increased fines for foreign labor violations would not apply to Gaza residents, who will face a reduced fine of 10 dinars, as agreed with Labor Minister Khaled Al-Bakkar.

Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Monem Al-Odat emphasized that the law represents state sovereignty and border control. "The state has the right to know who enters its borders, their destination, and place of residence," he said.

Al-Odat clarified that the amendments weren't primarily about increasing residence fees but rather updating a 50-year-old law whose original provisions no longer serve their intended purpose.

The amendments were deemed necessary after observations showed that most foreigners entering the kingdom legally failed to submit personal status declarations within specified periods.

Additionally, hotel managers often failed to report foreign guests' information to authorities within legal timeframes, with existing penalties proving insufficient as deterrents.

//Petra// AA

19/02/2025 18:44:08