JEDDAH
The number of illegal workers being sent home after the end of Saudi Arabia's amnesty period is increasing day by day. The amnesty period for foreign workers to legalise their status or leave the country ended on November 3.
The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Labor has announced that 80,000 illegal Ethiopian workers have been sent home so far, followed by 50,000 Somalis. The crackdown on illegal workers in the country is focused on capital Riyadh, and Jeddah as well as the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
One million illegal workers have left the country during the amnesty period extended by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to November 3, after which thousands of illegal workers who overstayed their visas began to be deported.
Four people including two police officers have been killed in operations staged in Riyadh against illegal Ethiopian workers in particular, and hundreds of vehicles were set to fire during a standoff with security forces. Tension was also high during attempts to deport 35,000 illegal workers detained in a prison between Jeddah and Mecca.
According to UN reports, there are 9,1 million foreign workers in Saudi Arabia, where the population is 28 million. The majority of foreign workers are employed in the services sector.
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