JEDDAH — The Ministry of Interior has issued a report revealing that an average of 22,000 illegal migrants were detained every month for the past six months, Al-Madinah daily reported. The report also shows 252,544 people were prevented from crossing into the country illegally since the beginning of a security campaign to flush out illegal foreigners living in the country legally. The ministry has also enacted penalties for migrants who violate residency requirements, including a SR15,000 fine, one month in prison and deportation for the first offense. A second offense carries a SR25,000 fine, three-months' imprisonment and deportation, while a third offense carries a SR100,000 fine, six months in prison and deportation. Those who transport, employ, harbor or provide any type of assistance to infiltrators will, for a first offense, be fined SR25,000 and sentenced to six months in prison. The penalty for the second offense will be a SR50,000 fine and one year in prison, while a third offense calls for a SR100,000 fine, two years in prison. If the offender is an expatriate, he will also face deportation. Individuals who transport, employ, harbor, or provide any type of assistance to residency violators will be fined SR15,000 the first time. A second violation carries a SR30,000 fine and three months in prison, while a third carries a SR100,000 fine and six months in prison. If the offender is an expatriate, he will also face deportation. Businesses that employ residency violators are fined SR50,000 and banned from recruiting for one year, in addition to six months' imprisonment for the business manager. The fines for the second offense will be a fine of SR75,000, a ban on recruitment for two years and one year in prison for the manager, while a third violation carries a fine of SR100,000, a five-year recruitment ban and a two-year prison sentence for the manager. The authorities have been cracking down on illegal migrants since the expiration in November of a seven-month amnesty during which they had to regularize their status or leave the Kingdom. Police arrested at least 400 mostly African illegal migrants in the Manfuha district of south Riyadh last week. A police official said they were arrested for "various offenses, such as overstaying their visas, running away from sponsors and looking for employment. Nearly one million foreign migrants took advantage of last year's amnesty to leave voluntarily, while another four million were able to find employers to sponsor them. The authorities have deported 614,262 illegals this year, official figures show. More than 13,000 migrants are still being held at detention centers across the country awaiting completion of their deportation procedures. Expatriates account for nine million of the Kingdom's 27 million population.
