Saudi Arabia arrest 198,231- no valid visa, 99,980- no work permits

KSA, Jan 05: A campaign for identifying persons without valid visa or workpermit, began on November 15, it resulted in the arrest of 198,231 foreigners who did not have valid residence permits and 99,980 without valid work permits, Gulf News reported on Thursday.

Authorities said 65,715 of the detainees had already been deported to their home countries, Saudi Gazette reported.

The nationalities of all the people detained and deported could not immediately be ascertained. Saudi Arabia is home to 3.2 million Indians, the largest expatriate community in the kingdom.

Illegal expatriates had been warned last year that they would have to pay fines ranging from 15,000 riyals to 100,000 riyals if they failed to regularise their stay or leave the country within a 90-day amnesty.