Though they do not necessarily have the skills to do jobs, their prices are sometimes exceptionally high. Many citizens say they are disgruntled by this trend.

They said this practice has widely spread because the workers have no fear of the police. They accused the passport police of slackness and said they were not carrying out their duties properly.

Arab News toured a number of places where overstayers were doing  manual jobs. Large numbers of them were spotted in several places in Makkah including Al-Mansour Street and the districts of Kudai, Al-Aziziyah, Al-Rusaifah, Al-Awali, Al-Maabdah, Al-Ekaishiyyah and Al-Nikasah.

They are usually found at paint and welding shops in addition to shops selling electric equipment and building materials. They position themselves around the places searching for customers who need electricians, welders and masons.

Though these customers are well aware these workers are more than likely illegals, they still deal with them. This has encouraged the workers to continue their work without any fear from the authorities.

In the past, these workers were suspicious of Saudis who sought their services, believing they may be undercover policemen, but now this fear is long gone. Their motto now is “to be or not to be”. They usually work in two shifts, from early morning till noon and from Asr until Isha.

Saudi citizen Saad Al-Otaibi said these illegals have completely controlled manual jobs, making customers easy prey.

“Though customers are aware of the hazards of hiring illegal workers, they seek their services because they have no other option,” he said.

Al-Otaibi said any worker would claim he is a welder, electrician, painter, mason and many others. “They are actually jacks of all trades, masters of none,” he said.

He called on the passport police to crack down on them and drive them out of the holy city.

Fellow Saudi citizen Fahd Zaraa said that in the past illegal workers who did manual jobs had a great fear of the police and would immediately run away if they spotted a police car. “They are now fearless. They stay in one place to bargain with Saudi customers. They have no fear of the authorities,” he said.

Zaraa said a lack of action by passport police has encouraged these illegals to increase their presence and called for tougher action against them.

Mazin Amin, another citizen, also blamed the lack of police raids for the rise in the number of such workers. He called on Saudis to help passport police root them out.

Police spokesman Maj. Muhamamd Al-Hussain denied his force had been slack in cracking down on such workers and said they were continuing to identify and arrest them.

He, however, said overstayers enter Makkah in large numbers during the Umrah and Haj seasons.