Passport holders will be on the first plane to Egypt JEDDAH – Security authorities moved on Wednesday to contain a group of Egyptian overstayers gathering outside their consulate in Rawdah District in Jeddah pressuring for immediate deportation to their country. Most of them have overstayed their Umrah visit and waited for the Haj, but are not now able to pay for their one-way ticket. Egyptian Consul Ali Al-Asheri talked to the crowd about their demand and vowed to seek help from Saudi authorities. In response, the police sent buses the consulate to take the crowd to the Sea Pilgrims City in the Jeddah port area in preparation for their deportation. The Sea Pilgrims City will provide overstaying Egyptian pilgrims with shelter to keep them away from squatting under bridges and on roadsides. But this type of gathering and pressure is not acceptable, said Al-Asheri. “The case has been partially resolved. Those with travel documents will be immediately deported, but those who don't carry their documents on them will have to wait for fingerprinting and security clearance,” he said. The crowd marched along Madina Road to reach the consulate, contributing to a morning traffic jam, Al-Asheri added. Police, however, said that the situation was under control now. “They have overstayed their visa and have been consequently categorized as illegal residents,” said Col. Misfer Al-Juaid, spokesman of the Jeddah Police Department. Visa overstayers, when detained, are usually deported in coordination with their country consulates, said Maj. Muhammad Al-Hussein, spokesman of the Makkah Region Passports Department. Last week, hundreds of Egyptians, most of them Umrah overstayers, gathered at the consulate demanding deportation. The number of Egyptians overstaying their Umrah visit could reach 4,000.
