JEDDAH, 20 February 2004 — The Kingdom will intensify its campaign against unlicensed businesses, foreign workers without a sponsor and overstaying pilgrims, according to Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Sajeeni, the director general of the Passports Department.
Sajeeni told a press conference here his department planned to open a file on unlicensed businesses. “Most of these businesses are run by expatriates,” he added.
He said the department already deported large numbers of overstayers and illegal foreign workers and closed down scores of illegal businesses with the cooperation of the Commerce Ministry.
“There are more workers without sponsors than overstaying pilgrims,” Sajeeni said in reference to expatriates who do not work for their sponsors and wander the streets looking for jobs.
He said the department’s officers would focus their campaign to flush out the unsponsored workers. “Most of these workers fail to renew their residence permits,” he added.
The passport chief said individuals and companies that abandon foreign workers under their sponsorship in violation of the country’s labor and iqama regulations would face stiff punishment.
Sajeeni said his department had taken measures to speed up immigration procedures at entry points for the benefit of Saudis, expatriate workers and foreign visitors.
He was speaking to reporters after a meeting with top passport officials including directors of regional passports departments and commanders of patrol police and directors of expatriates’ affairs departments.
The meeting discussed a strategy to curb unlicensed businesses and unsponsored workers, the Saudi Press Agency said.
“The meeting also discussed ways of making field officers more effective,” the agency added.
