Security authorities in Jeddah Governorate have dealt with groups of Southeast Asian violators of the residency (Iqama) and labor regulations who gathered in front of their consulates demanding to be deported to their home countries for free. The violators entered the Kingdom on Haj and Umrah visas and overstayed their visas in search of work. The majority, including women and children, ended up living under Al-Sitteen Bridge waiting for a chance to be deported free of charge by the Expatriates Followup Administration. Col. Hussein Al-Harthi, Director of the administration in Makkah Region, said that by gathering at their consulates, these violators of Iqama and labor regulations aim to travel to their countries free of charge despite having intentionally violated the Kingdom's regulations of the Kingdom. Al-Harthi said there is coordination with the consulates to solve the problems of the overstayers and to deport them after following the established procedures. He also stated that the overstayers would undergo electronic fingerprinting and their fingerprints would be matched with those in the records to determine their involvement in any criminal activity. He said last month the security authorities arrested a large number of violators who said they had come on Haj and Umrah visas and had lost their passports. But on taking their fingerprints and matching them, it turned out that they had escaped from their sponsors. These included persons wanted in financial cases. Lt. Col. Sulaiman Al-Mutawwa', acting spokesperson of Jeddah Police, said security patrols were present at the locations where the violators gathered and supported the Passports Department personnel in controlling the situation. Cooperation is continuing to complete the procedures for deporting the overstayers to their countries, he added. The Passports Department provided the violators with buses to transport them to the Expatriates Followup Administration in Jeddah to prepare for their deportation.
