67,000 illegals nabbed in 9 months
In this 2011 photo, expatriates who were caught working illegally in the kingdom are seen at a deportation center in Dammam. (AN photo)
ARAB NEWS
RIYADH: More than 67,000 foreigners were nabbed in the past nine months for various violations including illegal residence and working for employers who are not their original sponsors, business daily Al-Eqtisadiah reported yesterday.
It was quoting commander of the road security forces Maj. Gen. Khaled Nashshat Al-Qahtani, who said these foreigners were arrested during the period from Dec. 2011 to Aug. 2012.
Al-Qahtani said the violations committed by these foreigners also included illegal infiltration and overstaying after the expiry of their Haj or Umrah visas.
He said the arrested foreigners included 8,299 infiltrators, 8,521 illegal overstayers and 52,000 who committed various violations of the country’s work and residence regulations.
“The road security forces will arrest infiltrators, illegal overstayers, violators of the Kingdom work and residence regulations, and those who provide them with transport or accommodation,” he explained.
Al-Qahtani said the road security forces were covering all the roads in the Kingdom to check the foreigners who commit any kind of violation and hand them over to the authorities concerned, particularly the passport departments, to take legal action against them.
“Many people come to our country to earn money. They bring with them their culture, habits and manners. Some of them even bring with them their criminal mentality. They want to make money quickly and by all means, including unethical ones,” Al-Qahtani pointed out.
He said many overstayers would think that they might stay in the Kingdom as long as they wished without being discovered. “Regrettably, some Saudi citizens help them either out of compassion or because they are low-cost hands,” he said.
Al-Qahtani warned Saudi citizens against providing the violating foreigners transport services. “This is against the law, and anyone caught transporting illegal foreigners will be held responsible and may face punishment,” he warned.
He also asked citizens to assist the security forces in nabbing illegal expats by reporting them. “The illegal and violating foreigners are a threat to our economy, security and social norms,” he said.
Al-Qahtani also asked the legal foreigners not to provide shelter to their illegal compatriots, warning them they would equally be held accountable. “Concealing violating foreigners is a crime to be punished by law,” he warned.
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