JEDDAH, 17 July — Passport authorities arrested more than 6,000 illegal immigrants from a number of Arab and Asian countries during raids over the last five days in the city of Jeddah. The immigrants, all of them violated the Kingdom’s residence regulations, had sheltered themselves in the old districts of southern Jeddah and worked as street vendors.
Brig. Gen. Hassan Rashoun, director of Haj and Umrah affairs at the Passports Department, said authorities had stepped up surveillance of areas suspected to have concentrations of illegal residents.
He said most of the arrested came to the country on Umrah visas two years ago and stayed on with their relatives or compatriots after their visas had expired.
Landlords who gave shelter to the overstayers have been summoned to the Passports Department for questioning. They will be prosecuted on charges of assisting foreigners to stay in the country illegally.
They face imprisonment, fines and blacklisting if convicted. The arrested foreigners will be deported.
Passport officials had arrested more than 4,000 Arab and Asian immigrants who came to perform Umrah and stayed back in the country illegally during raids in several poor neighborhoods in southern and central Makkah earlier this year.
