In a statement issued here on Monday, the Passport Department emphasized the need for pilgrims and Haj service providers to comply with the Kingdom’s immigration rules. Pilgrims who do not leave the country before the expiry of their visas risk being penalized.

The Passport Department also called on all people including citizens and expatriates not to violate regulations, to comply with instructions and cooperate. It warned that any citizen or resident who provides lodging, employment or transport to overstayers would be fined and put in prison.

Arab News noticed a number of Umrah pilgrims at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah attempting to leave the country despite their visas having expired. They said they did not leave after Ramadan, as they wanted to perform Haj.

A source at the Passport Department said Umrah pilgrims who overstayed their visas could benefit from the current Royal pardon and leave without punishment. “They only need to turn themselves in to Passport officials so that the legal formalities can be completed before they are sent home,” he said.

The new regulations of the Saudi authorities have made it next to impossible for most Haj pilgrim to overstay. There are, however, some loopholes that allow some Umrah pilgrims, who want to perform Haj or seek illegal employment, to remain in the Kingdom undetected. The Passport Department is currently striving to implement tougher regulations to curb this.