All Haj pilgrims must leave by Nov. 8

The Ministry of Haj has warned that foreign pilgrims face stiff fines, deportation at their own expense, and a year ban from the Kingdom if they fail to leave Saudi Arabia by Nov. 8. Hatem Qadi, spokesman of the ministry, said recently that there would also be heavy penalties for those who harbor overstayers. He said there are currently 40,000 Indian and Malaysian Hajis still in Makkah and Madinah, while 1.3 million have left. He said that Haj and Umrah operators must ensure that their pilgrims leave the country on their scheduled flights. They are required to work with the General Authority for Civil Aviation, and Haj and Interior Ministries to see that this happens. Ahmed Luhaidan, spokesman of the Passport Department, said overstayers would be fined SR15,000 and have to pay for their deportation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be informed so that offenders are banned from getting Umrah visas for one year in their home countries. There would also be a SR10,000 fine for a person who harbors an overstayer in the country. Expatriate offenders would be fined, imprisoned and deported, he said. An Egyptian overstayer, Mansour Ahmad, told Arab News that he has been working illegally in Jeddah for the past three years after arriving on a Haj visa. He said he could not find a job in his home country and was advised by his friends to seek work in Saudi Arabia. He has been working as a cleaner. A Pakistani overstayer told Arab News that he paid SR13,000 to get a Haj visa so that he could work in Saudi Arabia. He said he had previously been arrested for working illegally in the Kingdom and was deported. He said it was easy to go home because a person only had to pay for a one-way flight.   Arab News