RIYADH: The country’s security agencies have arrested 1,589 foreign workers in Madinah for violating the country’s residency and labor laws.
Madinah district police chief, Maj. Gen. Abdul Hadi Al-Shahrani said “the offenses included having no residence permits, not working in jobs specified on their permits, working for persons other than their sponsors, absconding from their sponsors and selling goods at public places without permission.”
He said “the raids were conducted with the cooperation of other government agencies, with the suspects held until the legal process is completed.”
There would be more raids in the coming weeks, he said. “During the operations, the police cordoned off earmarked areas to stop the illegal workers from running away. Last month, the police also arrested 6,996 people”.
The security authorities conduct regular inspections to apprehend illegal workers to curb crimes such as theft, sorcery, and brewing liquor. According to the police, most crimes in the Kingdom are committed by illegal residents who have overstayed their visas.
The Ministry of Interior had earlier advised all illegal expatriates in the Kingdom to correct their work and residency status following the end of the amnesty period on Nov. 1, 2013 or leave the country.
Following the end of the amnesty, the authorities began to crack down on the many foreign workers who had violated their visa terms with surprise inspections on streets and in company offices.