More Illegal Workers Arrested
ILLEGAL EXPATS: Some of the illegal foreigners arrested in Riyadh on Wednesday. (AN photo)
The Riyadh police department has arrested 866 illegal expatriates including 20 women in three districts over the first few days of the government’s latest crackdown on violators of residency and labor laws.
The raids included officials from the labor and commerce ministries, and Riyadh municipality, and took place in the Batha, Sulay and industrial area. According to the police, most were from Yemen and Ethiopia. The women were mainly Ethiopians working illegally as housemaids.
On the first day of the campaign, the police arrested 341 people, followed by 250 on the second day and the rest on the third day. Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar had overseen the operations.
The suspects included workers without resident permits, people working in jobs not stated on their permits, and others employed by people who were not their sponsors. There were several who had been declared absconders, and others hawking products at public markets.
During the operations, the police cordoned off earmarked areas to prevent the illegal workers from escaping. The workers would either be deported or imprisoned, depending on their violations.
The government has been conducting regular inspections to arrest workers involved in crimes such as theft, sorcery, and brewing liquor. According to officials, 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.