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Riyadh, Jumada II 14, 1435, Apr 14, 2014, SPA -- Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Minister of Interior, issued a ministerial decision today stating a variety of penalties to be enforced on violators of regulations of dealing with expatriates who are found violating the Hajj, Umrah, visit, Iqama and labor regulations. The decision will go valid with immediate effect and be published in the official gazette.

A detailed table of penalties on those found violating the regulations of dealing with illegal expatriates was issued, including gradual fines up to SR100,000, imprisonment sentences up to two years, deprivation from importing new laborers up to five years, defaming in the media, imprisonment up to one year plus deportation of a foreign manager of a violating company and confiscation of the means of transportation used to violate the regulations. However, violators of such regulations were given a grace of period of no more than 30 days to appeal the verdict.

The violations include an expatriate who runs a private business, overstays following the expiry of his entry visa, infiltrators who are apprehended at the border, whoever (an individual or organization) found transporting or employing such infiltrators or providing cover-up or shelter or any other kind of assistance, a business owner who enables his sponsored workers to work for others or themselves, an employer who is late to notify the departure of the laborers whom he hired on due time since their visas expire, the Hajj and Umrah companies and establishments who don’t inform the authorities on time of the delay or disappearance of a pilgrims or Umrist, companies who employ infiltrators, companies or establishments who dare to employ system violators or leave them at large to work for others or for their own or itself using others' laborers.

An expatriate for whom the penalty was enforced on his employer or coverer-up will immediately be deported, the decision said, adding that no bail will be accepted.

Those who commit other violations which are not included in this decision will be subject to penalties included in the Iqama system, its appendices and the regulations on how to deal with those coming to the Kingdom on Hajj, or Umrah visas, it added. The decision said administrative committees, affiliates of the Passports Department and its branches, will consider such violations, decisions of which should be forwarded for accreditation to the minister of interior or his deputy.

--SPA