Reza Mahmud :
Around 30 thousand Bangladeshi illegal workers may return home soon from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the Arabian country extended amnesty for another 30 days for illegal foreigners staying there to leave that country.
Those who will fail to avail the opportunity will face legal actions as per the law of the KSA.
Besides, the offenders must be fined and be barred from entering the country again legally.
According to Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, around 50 thousand Bangladeshis took out-pass from the KSA. Out of which around 20 thousand have returned in the meantime and the rest are in queue to quit the country.
Earlier, the KSA announced a 3 month amnesty for illegally staying foreign nationals from 29th March, which ended on June 25.
After the announcement, more than 40 thousand Bangladeshi nationals have taken out-pass from Riyadh, Jeddah and other consulate offices in the kingdom.
“The illegally staying Bangladeshis including workers should take the chance of amnesty,” said Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam.
Besides, the Ambassador in Riyadh, Golam Masih said more than 40 thousand Bangldeshis have already taken out-pass before June 25.
“It is an ongoing process. The number is increasing,” he said.
Sources said there are around one lakh illegal Bangladeshi nationals in the KSA. But ambassador Golam Masih said the number is lesser.
The extension of amnesty announced by the Directorate General of Passports is in effect from June 25, according to the kingdom’s state news agency Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
According to the SPA, the amnesty, applicable for all nationalities, allows violators to leave without paying fines or from being barred from re-entering Saudi Arabia legally.
Saudi’s DGP chief Maj Gen Sulaiman Al-Yahya urged the illegal workers, who failed to benefit
from the previous grace period, to immediately visit the reception centres and complete necessary proceedings.
“The 30-day extension is in line with directives of Minister of Interior Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif,” said Al-Yahya.
The general amnesty was declared as part of ‘A Nation without Violators’ campaign in the oil-rich Middle Eastern country.
The SPA said in a report earlier that over 500,000 expatriates of different countries have already left Saudi Arabia under the general amnesty.
According to Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, among them, 19,833 Bangladeshis have so far left the country.
Illegal residents in Saudi Arabia can face a fine of 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.
Their fingerprints are preserved to prevent them from re-entering the kingdom in future.
Those who will leave the country lawfully will be allowed to return with legal work permits in the future.
Around 2.5 million illegal expats and labourers left Saudi Arabia since the programme was launched two years back.
The largest destination of Bangladeshi workers, Saudi Arabia, employs 1.3 million Bangladeshi workers, with 60,000 females working as domestic helps.
Around 30 thousand Bangladeshi illegal workers may return home soon from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the Arabian country extended amnesty for another 30 days for illegal foreigners staying there to leave that country.
Those who will fail to avail the opportunity will face legal actions as per the law of the KSA.
Besides, the offenders must be fined and be barred from entering the country again legally.
According to Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, around 50 thousand Bangladeshis took out-pass from the KSA. Out of which around 20 thousand have returned in the meantime and the rest are in queue to quit the country.
Earlier, the KSA announced a 3 month amnesty for illegally staying foreign nationals from 29th March, which ended on June 25.
After the announcement, more than 40 thousand Bangladeshi nationals have taken out-pass from Riyadh, Jeddah and other consulate offices in the kingdom.
“The illegally staying Bangladeshis including workers should take the chance of amnesty,” said Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam.
Besides, the Ambassador in Riyadh, Golam Masih said more than 40 thousand Bangldeshis have already taken out-pass before June 25.
“It is an ongoing process. The number is increasing,” he said.
Sources said there are around one lakh illegal Bangladeshi nationals in the KSA. But ambassador Golam Masih said the number is lesser.
The extension of amnesty announced by the Directorate General of Passports is in effect from June 25, according to the kingdom’s state news agency Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
According to the SPA, the amnesty, applicable for all nationalities, allows violators to leave without paying fines or from being barred from re-entering Saudi Arabia legally.
Saudi’s DGP chief Maj Gen Sulaiman Al-Yahya urged the illegal workers, who failed to benefit
from the previous grace period, to immediately visit the reception centres and complete necessary proceedings.
“The 30-day extension is in line with directives of Minister of Interior Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif,” said Al-Yahya.
The general amnesty was declared as part of ‘A Nation without Violators’ campaign in the oil-rich Middle Eastern country.
The SPA said in a report earlier that over 500,000 expatriates of different countries have already left Saudi Arabia under the general amnesty.
According to Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, among them, 19,833 Bangladeshis have so far left the country.
Illegal residents in Saudi Arabia can face a fine of 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.
Their fingerprints are preserved to prevent them from re-entering the kingdom in future.
Those who will leave the country lawfully will be allowed to return with legal work permits in the future.
Around 2.5 million illegal expats and labourers left Saudi Arabia since the programme was launched two years back.
The largest destination of Bangladeshi workers, Saudi Arabia, employs 1.3 million Bangladeshi workers, with 60,000 females working as domestic helps.
