RIYADH: Over 22,000 illegal migrants have been arrested in a crackdown by the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to government officials.
Most of those detained immigrants are from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, the officials said.
Officials in the Ministry of Interior said that over 13,000 of the immigrants were rounded up for violations of Iqama rules, about 5,000 for breaking border crossing laws and 3,300 for working against labor laws of the country
Moreover, scores of Saudi nationals were also arrested for illegally facilitating foreign workers in entering and getting work in the country.
It may be mentioned here that thousands of immigrants from different countries reach in Saudi Arabia through different companies each year. Apart from these firms, unregistered agents also hire labors from Pakistan and other countries and bring them to the kingdom.
According to a recent report, thousands of Pakistan were in Saudi Arabia in search of work after human smugglers brought them in the country and abandoned them without proper documents.
The government of Pakistan a few years ago told the National Assembly that the government cannot facilitate anyone who reached Saudi Arabia using illegal means or through unregistered companies.
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