PHOTO
27 July 2017
JEDDAH — The amnesty for undocumented expatriate workers to leave the Kingdom without penalty and fines will not be further extended, according to director general of the Passports Department (Jawazat) Maj. Gen. Solaiman Al-Yahya.
The four-month-long amnesty under the “Nation Free of Violators” campaign came to an end on Monday.
“Four months given to violators of residency and labor laws to leave the Kingdom voluntarily were enough,” Al-Yahya told local daily Al-Madina on Wednesday.
The amnesty started late March and was extended by one month.
Al-Yahya warned that those who did not benefit from the amnesty will be apprehended and punished.
“These are reckless people who have no respect for the law. Therefore they will be penalized,” he asserted.
“The amnesty was a golden opportunity for the violators to leave voluntarily and be able to come to the Kingdom any time legally,” he said.
According to him, more than 600,000 violators left the Kingdom and more than 15,000 of them have come back to the Kingdom legally on new work visas.
Al-Yahya explained that those who benefited from the amnesty were not given Murahal (deportee) fingerprinting, so it was easy for them to come back legally.
He warned that those who completed their departure procedures during the amnesty period but remained in the Kingdom will be fined and deported.
A massive crackdown campaign in which 19 government departments will participate will soon start to apprehend violators.
Meanwhile, a number of expatriates, many of whom some are holding legitimate iqamas (residence permits) but working for themselves, were seen along the streets of Jeddah especially under bridges. Some of them said they will stay in the Kingdom no matter what the consequences might be, because they have no source of income in their home countries.
Mahmoud Al-Sayyid, an Egyptian, said his sponsor lives in Madinah, but he works in Jeddah to make a living for himself and his family back home.
“I will not given in or leave voluntarily. I heard of the campaign and the amnesty but I am not scared,” he defiantly said.
An Ethiopian, who did not want to be identified, said he has been illegally staying in the Kingdom for seven years during which he was deported several times but each time he was able to come back.
“I do not have an iqama so I have nothing to lose. I will be staying until I am caught and deported,” he said.
JEDDAH — The amnesty for undocumented expatriate workers to leave the Kingdom without penalty and fines will not be further extended, according to director general of the Passports Department (Jawazat) Maj. Gen. Solaiman Al-Yahya.
The four-month-long amnesty under the “Nation Free of Violators” campaign came to an end on Monday.
“Four months given to violators of residency and labor laws to leave the Kingdom voluntarily were enough,” Al-Yahya told local daily Al-Madina on Wednesday.
The amnesty started late March and was extended by one month.
Al-Yahya warned that those who did not benefit from the amnesty will be apprehended and punished.
“These are reckless people who have no respect for the law. Therefore they will be penalized,” he asserted.
“The amnesty was a golden opportunity for the violators to leave voluntarily and be able to come to the Kingdom any time legally,” he said.
According to him, more than 600,000 violators left the Kingdom and more than 15,000 of them have come back to the Kingdom legally on new work visas.
Al-Yahya explained that those who benefited from the amnesty were not given Murahal (deportee) fingerprinting, so it was easy for them to come back legally.
He warned that those who completed their departure procedures during the amnesty period but remained in the Kingdom will be fined and deported.
A massive crackdown campaign in which 19 government departments will participate will soon start to apprehend violators.
Meanwhile, a number of expatriates, many of whom some are holding legitimate iqamas (residence permits) but working for themselves, were seen along the streets of Jeddah especially under bridges. Some of them said they will stay in the Kingdom no matter what the consequences might be, because they have no source of income in their home countries.
Mahmoud Al-Sayyid, an Egyptian, said his sponsor lives in Madinah, but he works in Jeddah to make a living for himself and his family back home.
“I will not given in or leave voluntarily. I heard of the campaign and the amnesty but I am not scared,” he defiantly said.
An Ethiopian, who did not want to be identified, said he has been illegally staying in the Kingdom for seven years during which he was deported several times but each time he was able to come back.
“I do not have an iqama so I have nothing to lose. I will be staying until I am caught and deported,” he said.
© The Saudi Gazette 2017
