The Ministries of Interior and Labor said Sunday that they would launch an intensive nationwide campaign from Nov. 4 (the first day of the new Hijrah year) to arrest and punish illegals and their employers.

In a joint statement, the ministries urged undocumented expats to legalize their residency and labor status before the expiry of the present amnesty on Nov. 3 to avoid arrest and other punitive action.

“Expats are advised to process their paperwork without delay, as we will begin taking punitive action against illegals and their employers without leniency,” the two ministries warned.

Faisal Al-Otaibi, director of the department for inspections at the Labor Ministry, said the raid against illegals would cover institutions across cities and principalities without exception.

The ministry would not allow any black market for foreign workers, he said. “We will allow manpower supply only through licensed companies,” Al-Otaibi said. He also pointed out that the wage protection program was aimed at preventing false nationalization.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the Indian consul general in Jeddah, told Arab News that the amnesty had helped a large number of Indians legalize their status, adding that the Indian Embassy and consulate had provided ample support to its citizens during the process.

However, he said that many Indians whose papers were incomplete or were not eligible under the amnesty could not make the deadline. He urged these undocumented Indians to register with the mission.