Mecca has mandated a six-year cap on the residency of foreigners in the country, as part of its programme to control the local job market, and any Hajji or illegal overstayers are met with a mandatory prison sentence followed by swift deportation. Many illegal immigrants are those who have overstayed their visit, employment or Hajj visas, although there are many who sneak into the country without border staff noticing.
However, some nationalities don't need a visa to enter the country, which include the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), for instance. Furthermore, there are many stateless people (known as Bidoon in Saudi Arabia) who live here.
See also
References
- Cordesman, Anthony H. (2003). Saudi Arabia enters the 21st century - Anthony H. Cordesman - Google Books. ISBN 9780275980917. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
- "Saudi Arabia plans six-year cap on expatriate workers". The Hindu. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
- "Illegal workers pose grave threat to security". Arab News. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
- "50,000 Indians deported during amnesty". Arab News. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
- "Yemeni Illegal Immigration to Saudi Arabia on the Increase: Illegal Immigrant Tells his Story". Yemeni Post. Archived from the original on 2011-04-26. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
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