JEDDAH, 29 March 2005 — Over 12,000 African overstayers have been deported to their homelands by the passport department in Jeddah.
Following the Haj, thousands of Africans have been camping under the port bridge and in other areas of Jeddah for several weeks. The people say that they came to the Kingdom for Haj but due to the expiry of their air tickets, they have been stuck here without money and often with insufficient food and inadequate health care.
Speaking to Arab News Col. Fahd Al-Wuthainani, head of the Expatriate Department in Makkah, said the department had deported over 12,000 African overstayers during the last few weeks.
Al-Wuthainani said the reason for overstaying was difficulties with flight bookings.
According to sources, the majority of the overstayers are Nigerians. They said the passport department deports from 300 to 500 people every week. Al-Wuthainani said the remaining overstayers, who are from Niger, will be deported tomorrow.
Bamb Ali, the head of the Nigerian Haj Mission, told Arab News that all 62,000 of the Nigerian pilgrims left the Kingdom before Feb. 17. He said that the Nigerians camping under the bridge are overstayers who had not come to the Kingdom for Haj.
