MAKKAH: Authorities have started implementing a decision to deport the non-Saudi dependents of convicted criminals, Al-Madinah newspaper reported yesterday. The families face deportation if any of the members commit crimes such as theft, alcohol drinking and working for anyone apart from their sponsors. Lt. Col. Suhail Al-Matrafi, director of Expatriate Affairs at the Makkah Police Department, said many foreign families have been deported since the implementation of the decision, which helped reduce the crime rate in the city. Maj. Zaki Al-Harbi, acting spokesman for Makkah police, said the crime rate has greatly dwindled, especially among Asian and some Arab communities.
