A total of 345,089 illegal expatriates have left the Kingdom voluntarily since the beginning of a 90-day amnesty offered to violators of residency and labor regulations to leave the country without penalties. Maj. Gen. Deifallah Al-Huweifi, Deputy Director of Passports, said the general directorate, in cooperation with the National Information Center of the Interior Ministry, has set up number of centers all over the Kingdom to facilitate the departure of violators under the amnesty scheme. He called on all violators of the regulations to avail of the remaining 22 days of the amnesty and benefit from the national campaign, "A Nation without Illegal Expatriates," which allows illegal residents to leave without attracting penalties. Maj. Gen. Al-Huweifi warned citizens and residents against transporting, hiring, or sheltering violators. Or else, they would be subjected to harsh penalties, which include long prison terms, fines and deportation. The amnesty campaign was launched in March to give undocumented workers an opportunity to correct their status or leave the Kingdom without being fingerprinted and deported, as would have otherwise been the case.
