Jeddah's Passport authority deported 108 overstayers as part of a new campaign to remove overstayers living under bridges. Across the Jeddah the campaign took effect which resulted in eight buses being filled with the bridge dwellers. In its raids the Passport authority has sought the help of teams from the Mayoralty to rid the bridges of overstayers. Brigadier Muhammad Al-Asmeri, Director of the Passport authority for the Makkah Region, said the Kingdom's immigration rules prevent those who come on Umrah or Haj visa to stay in the country after expiry shown in their passports. He stressed that those who stay in the country after the expiry of their visas will be punished as well as anyone who provides them shelter will be jailed. Residents will be jailed and then deported whereas citizens will be jailed and fined. Al-Asmeri said a large segment of the overstayers intentionally miss their flights so that they can be deported by the government for free. The arrested overstayers will be checked for a criminal history and then deported if they are not suspected of being implicated in a crime in the Kingdom, Al-Asmeri said. He said in the past few months the Passport authority had deported 4,800 Umrah and Haj overstayers. Al-Asmeri stipulated that this cleanup campaign is not the end of the problem. Simply because every Haj more overstayers remain in the Kingdom and live under bridges. – Okaz __
