The Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh has announced a new registration campaign to assist undocumented nationals who were unable to rectify their status during the grace period.

Syed Hammad Abid, community welfare attaché at the embassy, told Arab News on Saturday: “The new registration campaign aims to assist the remaining illegal Pakistani workers by facilitating procedures for those who were not covered by amnesty concessions and individuals who were unable to rectify their status before the Nov. 3 amnesty deadline.”

“Embassy officials and volunteers are ready to assist illegal workers and provide services through 80 help points around the Kingdom to legalize their status,” he said.

Abid said workers who arrived in the Kingdom after April 6 as freelancers or those who were declared runaway workers should not hesitate to register with the embassy, help points and the Pakistan Consulate in Jeddah.

“We are also trying to help Umrah and Haj overstayers. I urge nationals to take advantage of the new campaign and register as soon as possible,” he said.

The passport authorities in the Kingdom have emphasized that expatriates who were unable to correct their status will not be allowed to leave the Kingdom without registering their fingerprints and revealing personal identification papers.

A large number of undocumented Pakistani workers could not benefit from the Nov. 3 amnesty deadline despite extensive efforts made by the Pakistan Embassy, although thousands of others were able to make the deadline.

Around 729,932 Pakistani workers benefited from the amnesty. More than 396,152 Pakistanis have already transferred sponsorships, while 333,780 workers have changed professions on their official IDs to legalize their status in the Kingdom

The Pakistan Embassy does not have the exact figure for the remaining illegal Pakistani workers.