DAMMAM, 9 November 2003 — The Passports Department will soon launch a campaign against illegal immigrants and overstayers. It has urged all residents — Saudi as well as non-Saudi — not to shelter those who are in the Kingdom illegally and to inform the authorities if they have information regarding such individuals.
According to an official at the Passports Department here, the problem of overstayers is not as great here as in Jeddah and the Western Province; he stated, however, that the Eastern Province is not free of the problem.
Recently the Passports Department discovered a situation in which hundreds of people who had come here on visit visas were in fact working in a number of companies. Many businesses were fined and the illegal workers were deported.
The Passports Department first identifies areas and companies where there are possibilities of illegal immigrants and then conducts surprise raids. It will also make use of random road checks.
