Pre-dawn raids in Jeddah, Riyadh see many arrests

Government’s security agencies arrested many expatriates for violating the country’s residency and labor laws in predawn raids at several locations in Riyadh and Jeddah on Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. Masood Al-Adwani led the operation in Jeddah’s Karantina district. It started at 1 a.m. and lasted for several hours. Security personnel also arrested those suspected of involvement in drug trafficking, storage of stolen goods and prostitution.
The campaign is part of a second crackdown on illegal workers launched across the country on the orders of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, second deputy premier and minister of interior, under the supervision of Director of Public Security Lt. Gen. Othman Al-Muhrej.
“The security campaigns have achieved tangible results with a considerable fall in crime rates, which citizens have started noticing,” Al-Muhrej said. Raids would take place daily in collaboration with the Passport Department and the Prisons Directorate, he said.
Karantina is a neighborhood with many workers from African countries. Its narrow back streets provide cover for criminals. It is known for having markets for stolen steel, empty bottles and aluminum, run by illegal Asians and Africans.
Karantina’s Al-Juma Souq sells all kinds of mostly stolen goods, including cheap household utensils, electrical equipment, clocks and clothing. The notorious Kolanut and Coal Streets are also in this district. Many beggars in the city find refuge in this largely inaccessible area.
In Riyadh, police arrested 394 illegal workers during operations in Batha, Shifa and Exit 17. The districts were cordoned off to prevent the illegal workers from escaping.
The operations were carried out on special instructions from Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar and were a combined effort by the police and the labor department officials.
According to the police, the majority of those arrested were Yemenis and Ethiopians. A Yemeni who was in possession of a large supply of narcotics was also arrested.  
The security authorities conduct regular operations in order to apprehend illegal workers and prevent crimes such as theft and sorcery.
According to officials, most crimes in the Kingdom are committed by people who have overstayed their visas. As a result, the government has intensified its campaign against the overstayers.
The government crackdown on illegal workers will see offenders reportedly face fines of up to SR100,000, two years in jail and deportation. The government is targeting foreigners who overstay their visas or are working with the incorrect documents, and those who employ or harbor them.
Employers also face tough penalties including a ban on hiring expatriates. The government has denied reports that it plans to launch another amnesty for illegal workers.
More than 1 million foreigners left the Kingdom in 2013 under a seven-month amnesty that allowed illegal residents to leave without penalty. However, some were unable to exit because they did not have identification papers.
There are about 9 million foreigners in Saudi Arabia, accounting for one-third of the population. Hundreds of thousands are estimated to be in the Kingdom illegally, including those who have incorrect visas, overstayed their visas or crossed the country’s borders illegally.