Saudi general amnesty for illegal residents ending June 25

The general amnesty for illegal residents in Saudi Arabia to go back to their countries without facing any penalties is ending before the Eid-ul-Fitr.

Salauddin Wahed Pritom and Md Shofi Ullahbdnews24.com
Published : 22 June 2017, 06:37 PM
Updated : 22 June 2017, 06:37 PM

Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh Md Nazrul Islam told bdnews24.com on Wednesday that the grace period for illegal residents to get necessary documents to return home will end on June 25.

"Those who register within this period will be sent back home in next two months," he said.

He added that the Saudi authorities will take action against those who fail to collect the documents within the period.

Illegal residents in Saudi Arabia can face maximum 100,000 Saudi Riyal and up to two years imprisonment if they do not collect out pass and exit pass within the stipulated time.

More than 12,000 Bangladeshis collected out pass from the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General of Bangladesh in Jeddah until Apr 25.

The oil-rich Middle Eastern country announced the general amnesty starting from Mar 29 for crimes like working without permission or illegal entry.

Sarwar Alam, Counsellor at the labour wing of the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, said no one will get exit visa under the general amnesty after June 25.

Maj Gen Sulaiman Al-Yahya, director general of passports in Saudi Arabia, said last week more than 400,000 foreigners completed final exit procedures by taking advantage of the three-month amnesty, according to Saudi Gazette.

He warned that there won’t be any leniency toward those violators who failed to benefit from the amnesty, the newspaper reported on June 14.