Saudi Arabia gets serious about kicking illegals out
Saudi Arabia, Local, 10/2/1997

Foreign nationals staying illegally in the kingdom and preparing to leave the country before the expiration of the October 16 deadline have been advised not to expect to be provided automatically with free transport to their countries.

This was stated by the director general of the passport department Lt. General Assad Abdul Kareem Al Fareeh, who said his department will not be tricked into providing free tickets to everybody wanting to leave the country. "We know who has got money and who hasn't. Nobody should think they can fool us," General Al Fareeh said in a television interview last night.

He said that at the moment there would be no house-to-house searches to flush out overstayers, but stressed that after the amnesty period the campaign would intensify. General Al Fareeh said if they can trace those who employ, rent to and transport overstayers then the phenomenon of overstaying could be eradicated.

"The Saudis who provide jobs to those expatriates who are not under their sponsorship will be fined a minimum of 5,000 Saudi Riyals and a maximum of 50,000 Saudi Riyals," said the director of the Riyadh Passport Office Brig. Marzouk Al Rouki, also speaking on the TV program.

Officials at the consulates of a number of Africa and Asian countries, from which most of the overstayers originate, have advised their citizens to provide for their own travel expenses.

"The response has been very good so far. We are providing our people with valid travel documents and other consular services including handling their exit visas to help them leave smoothly," said Tekleab Kebebe, Consul General of Ethiopia in Jeddah.

He said so far travel documents were issued to over 500 Ethiopians who voluntarily chose to return. The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis Ababa issued a statement urging all its citizens staying illegally in the kingdom to return home.

"In view of the big rush, we have decided to work on the problem on October 2nd to the 16th," said a spokesman for the Pakistani consulate. According to the spokesman, over 100 applications are being processed each day with the number expected to increase as the deadline approaches. At the Eritrean consulate the scene is no different. According to vice consul General Mahmoud Hamid, 273 Eritreans have left since September 14 and 300 others are preparing to leave after their documents are finalized.

Previous Stories:
  Ministry urges overstayers to leave   (9/9/1997)
  630 hawkers arrested in Makkah   (9/8/1997)
  AIDS victims to be deported from Saudi Arabia   (8/7/1997)

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