Saudi Arabia: Stiff penalties for employing illegals
Violating establishments could face fines up to SR100,000; jailing for managers
Cairo: Saudi authorities have warned stiff fines will be meted out to those employing illegal expatriates as the country ramps up a crackdown on violators of its residency, labour and border security laws.
The Saudi General Directorate of Passports has said establishments employing migrant workers, allowing their workers to pursue self-employment or be employed by others will face fines up to SR100,000 and be deprived of recruiting employees from abroad for a maximum of five years.
As part of penalties, such businesses will also be defamed in public while their managers will be jailed for up to one year and deported if they are foreigners.
The directorate has urged the public to report violators of residency, labour and border security systems, dialing No 911 in the regions of Mecca and Riyadh, and No 999 in other parts of the kingdom.
Saudi authorities have repeatedly warned that those who facilitate the entry of infiltrators into the kingdom or provide them with transportation, shelter or any sort of assistance face penalties of a maximum of 15 years in prison, and a fine of up to SR1 million, as well as confiscation of the transport and the accommodation means, in addition to naming to shame them.