Illegal Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia
Several thousands to be deported after Nov 3
Several thousand Bangladeshi workers, who migrated illegally to Saudi Arabia without valid documents and therefore were denied the chance to legalise their status, must return home after an ongoing amnesty expires on November 3, according to officials.
The number of such Bangladeshis who face deportation would not be more than 5,000 to 10,000, said Emdadul Haque, labour counsellor at Bangladesh Embassy in the Kingdom, talking to The Daily Star by phone recently.
Around 7 lakh Bangladeshis have received consular services taking the opportunity of the amnesty, he added.
Haque requested the Bangladeshis, who are still waiting to have their status legalised under the amnesty, to get registered to avoid punishment after the deadline. Those who have applied for legalising status would not face any problem, as the embassy is providing them with temporary documents, he said.
Last week, Deputy Labour Minister of Saudi Mefreh Al-Haqbani declared that the expatriates seeking legalisation to continue to work in the Kingdom would be exempted from penalties and fines for violations that took place after April 6 this year.
In addition, expatriate labourers who have sought final-exit visas during the grace period will also be exempted from penalties, he added.
Haqbani, however, warned that the illegal migrants, who will fail to legalise status, must face punishment after November 3. Employers, individual sponsors and enterprises would also face extensive penal action for harbouring illegals, he added.
“The timely submission of paperwork is imperative to avoid deportation and being banned from entering the country,” Haqbani told Arab News.
In early May, Saudi authorities set July 4 as the amnesty deadline allowing illegal migrants to legalise their visa status, transfer their jobs, or return home without facing penalty. Upon demands from foreign nationals, the amnesty period was extended till November 3 but Haqbani said there would no more extension.
The Saudi government has declared to launch a massive crackdown on illegal foreign workers after the amnesty, fining and jailing illegals for two years.
Since May, the Kingdom has deported more than 8 lakh illegal foreign workers.
-With The Daily Star input
