The Passports Department in Al-Qunfudah Governorate has reassured illegal residents that participating in the census does not mean that they will be arrested and deported. The Department said that the purpose of the census is to count everyone in the Kingdom regardless of status. A team of the Passports Department has joined the enumeration working group. Muhammad Mussbih, Deputy Enumeration Supervisor of the southern governorates in the Makkah region, said 720 employees are involved in the count. The population and housing census in the Kingdom started on Wednesday and will continue until May 12. Meanwhile, a judge has called on census employees to protect and keep secret the information they gather on families during the housing and population count. Nasser Bin Talib, a High Court Judge and Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque in Ar'ar, addressed a number of enumerators participating in the census before they started work. This was at the Bait Al-Talib Hall in the presence of Saleh Al-Khushaiban, Supervisor General of the Census in the Northern Frontier Region. Speaking to 310 employees, who started Thursday to count members of families in their homes, Talib emphasized the importance of the census, gave them advice on keeping the information on families secrets and for them to respect the sanctity of homes. He stressed that they should carry out their work with honesty and sincerity. Al-Khushaiban said the enumerators have been deployed in Ar'ar, Turaif, Rafha and Al-Owaiqliah to start the count, under 68 supervisors and 15 inspectors. He called on citizens and expatriates to cooperate with enumerators.
