The Saudi Arabian government has started detaining illegal migrant workers who failed to become part of the Saudi government’s amnesty scheme launched from May 10 to November 3 in the country.

 

It is learned that 8,000 illegal migrant workers were arrested from the Jijan area in the country in a single day.

 

However, the Nepali embassy in Riyadh said no illegal Nepali workers have been arrested as of Wednesday. “Police have to inform the embassy if a Nepali migrant is arrested in order to acquire an exit permit. No application in this regard has been registered at the embassy so far,” said Nepali Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Udayraj Pandey.

 

Pandey claimed illegal Nepali workers utilised the amnesty scheme to the full. As part of the amnesty scheme, 35,000 illegal Nepali workers, including 300 women, are said to have returned home while 9,000 others legalised their status.

 

“Illegal workers who skipped the amnesty opportunity are being arrested. Such workers will be put in a detention centre before deporting them to their own countries,” he said. He said police also fine such workers.

 

“Workers who became illegal by leaving their sponsors without passports after April 5 can surrender to police and that they will be sent back to their home country,” he said.

 

He said some illegal migrant workers working for their employers with a hope to get their status legalised are yet to acquire such status and may face action in future. “We have urged such workers to return home,” he said.