Saudi Arabia toughens stance on illegal expats

[email protected] (Arab News)
April 15, 2014

Saudi_Arabia
Jeddah, Apr 15: Saudi Arabia on Monday announced tough punishment for expats violating the country's residency, labor and business regulations. Punishment includes fines up to SR100,000, a jail term for up to two years, a recruitment ban and deportation.

The move targets foreigners who have come to the Kingdom on work, visit, Haj and Umrah visas, and have overstayed their visas, the Interior Ministry said.

“Punishment will be increased depending on the number of violations and individuals involved, while violating expats will be deported and prevented from entering the Kingdom for a specific period,” the ministry said in a statement. “Those arrested for violations will not be released, even on bail.”

Administrative panels at the Passport Department will determine the violations.

“People will have the right to appeal against the panel's decision to the interior minister within 30 working days following the issuance of the decision,” the statement said. A special legal panel at the ministry will look into such appeals and provide the minister with their proposals.

Expats working independently will be fined SR10,000 and deported if the violation is committed for the first time, while second-time offenders will be fined SR25,000, jailed for one month and deported and third-time offenders will incur a SR50,000 fine, a six-month jail and deportation, the statement said.

Expats overstaying their visas after they have expired for the first time will be fined SR15,000 and deported, while second-time offenders will be liable to pay SR25,000, spend three months in jail and face deportation.

Third-time overstayers, meanwhile, will incur a SR50,000 fine, a six-month jail term and deportation.

Saudis and expats have welcomed the ministry's statement, saying it would strengthen the Kingdom's security and stability.

“The Interior Ministry's decision compliments the Labor Ministry's efforts to flush out illegals and regulate the labor market,” said Ibrahim Badawood, managing director of ALJ Community Initiatives.

“The punishments issued by the ministry show that they are very serious on the issue. The punishment covers not only expats, but also companies and individual employers,” he said. “Now, employers will think twice before hiring or sheltering an illegal expat,” Badawood said.

He said the government's move would also address the “tasattur” (cover-up businesses) phenomenon and other illegal activities.

“Some sponsors have recruited many expats and they don't know what their workers are doing. This is a serious issue and the new punishments will definitely reduce such illegal operations,” he said.

The ministry said intruders held outside the border will be fined SR15,000 and deported after serving a one-month jail sentence. Second time violators will be fined SR25,000, jailed three months and deported, while third-time or more offenders will have to pay SR100,000 fine and serve six months in jail before deportation.

Those who transport, employ and shelter intruders will be fined SR25,000, jailed for six months and deported if expats.

Their vehicles will be seized if the violation is committed for the first time. Second-time violators will be fined SR50,000, jailed for one year, deported, shamed and have their vehicle confiscated, while third-time offenders will be liable to pay a SR100,000 fine, face a two-year jail and be deported.

The ministry said all those who transport, shelter or employ violators of the Kingdom's laws will be fined SR15,000 and deported (if expat); second-time violators will be fined SR30,000, deported and jailed for 3 months. Third-time offenders, meanwhile, will pay a SR100,000 fine and serve a six-month jail sentence before being deported.

An individual employer who allows his workers to work for others or for their personal accounts will be fined SR15,000 and deported (if expat) and prevented from recruitment for one year. For the second-time violators, the punishments are: a SR30,000 fine, deportation, three-month jail and ban on recruitment for two years; third time and more: SR100,000 fine, deportation, six-month jail and ban on recruitment for five years.

Expats who fail to report delays in the departure of overstaying employees will be fined SR15,000 and face deportation (if expat) for the first time, SR25,000, jail for three months and deportation the second time, and SR50,000, a six-month jail term and deportation the third time.

The ministry said that companies and organizations that fail to inform authorities about Haj or Umrah overstayers would be fined SR25,000 the first time round, SR50,000 the second time and SR100,000 the third time round or any time after that.

Meanwhile, institutions that employ intruders will be fined SR50,000 the first time such an offense is committed, in addition to being banned from recruiting employees for an entire year. The manager will be jailed for six months and deported if he is an expat.

Second time offenders will incur a SR75,000 fine and a recruitment ban for two years, in addition to the manager being jailed for one year and deported. Third time offenders will be liable to pay SR100,000 fine, face a recruitment ban for five years and face a two-year jail term and deportation.

Institutions that employ violators of residency and labor laws or allow their workers to work for other employers, independently or employ employees from other companies will be fined SR25,000, banned from recruitment for a year and have the expat manager deported; second time SR50,000 fine, recruitment ban for two years with shaming, and the manager will be jailed for six months and deported; and third time and more: SR100,000 fine, recruitment ban for five years with shaming and the manager will be jailed for a year and deported.

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News Network
May 4,2024

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan MP said that election for the South West Teachers and Graduates constituencies will be held on June 3.

The notification for the same will be issued on May 9. The last date for filing nominations is May 16. The nominations must be submitted to Regional Commissioner in Mysuru and the last date for withdrawal of nomination is May 17.

The counting of votes will be held on June 6.

As of December 30, 2023 there are 6753 voters in DK district in the South West Teachers Constituency out of which 4520 are women. On the other hand, there are 16,869 graduate voters in the district for the South West graduates constituency.

The voters can submit their application for enrollment in electoral list of the South West Teachers and graduates constituency till May 6. The applications can be submitted at Mangaluru City Corporation or all the taluk offices.

Bulk applications can be submitted by Bar Association, Doctors association, Chartered Accountants Association, registered engineers association for the graduates constituency.

Those who are graduates prior to November 11, 2020 can enroll for voters list in the graduates constituency  by submitting Form 18 along with photo copy of marks card, Aadhaar card, voters' identity card and residential address.

For getting oneself enrolled in the teachers constituency voters, an individual should be teaching for minimum three years prior to November 1, 2023 in high school or higher educational institutions.

For the teachers constituency, educational institutions can submit applications in bulk. If wrong details are furnished in these applications, then they will be punishable under Section 31 of Representation of People Act, warned the DC.

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News Network
May 1,2024

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday attacked the BJP over the obscene video case in Hassan district by questioning who gave the accused Prajwal Revanna a visa to go abroad. He also hit out at Union Minister Amit Shah asking why did he gave a ticket to Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal, who is the accused in the sex scandal case. 

He alleged that former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda planned the escape of his grandson and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna abroad. 

“Who gives passport and visa for travelling abroad? It’s the Centre. Can he go without the Centre’s knowledge? It was former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda who planned and sent him abroad,” the Chief Minister said.

"Prajwal pen drives case is not related to DCM DK Shivakumar. Why did Amit Shah give a ticket to the accused of a sex scandal?" he questioned.

Siddaramaiah also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to direct the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs to cancel the Diplomatic Passport issued to Prajwal Revanna and ensure his return to face the law.

Prajwal is accused in an alleged sex scandal which is under investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Karnataka government. He is believed to have escaped to Germany shortly after polling in the first phase of elections in the state got over on April 26, in which Prajwal was the JD(S)-BJP combine's candidate from Hassan. 

The Karnataka CM said that SIT will conduct an investigation in a transparent manner in the case.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah wrote on X, "The government has decided to form a special investigation team in connection with Prajwal Revanna's obscene video case. Obscene video clips are circulating in Hassan district, where it appears that women have been sexually assaulted."

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News Network
April 25,2024

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Bengaluru: The Congress and BJP will lock horns on the electoral battleground again, in less than a year, in Karnataka as the stage is set for voting in the first phase in 14 Lok Sabha seats on Friday.

It's going to be a straight fight between the ruling Congress and the BJP-JD(S) combine unlike the Assembly elections in May last year which witnessed a triangular contest among the three parties.

The state has a total of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies. The second phase of polling in the remaining 14 seats is on May seven.

A total of 247 candidates -- 226 men and 21 women -- are in the fray for the first phase in most of the southern and coastal districts.

More than 2.88 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 30,602 polling stations where polling will take place between 7 am to 6 pm.

While the Congress is contesting in all 14 seats, BJP has fielded nominees in 11 and its alliance partner JD(S), which joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in three -- Hassan, Mandya and Kolar.

Besides the three, the segments where elections will be held on Friday are: Udupi-Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South and Chikkballapur.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress and JD(S), which were in alliance and ruling the state then, had secured just one seat each in these 14 segments. The BJP had won in 11 and ensured the victory of a party supported independent candidate in Mandya.

Having scored a thumping victory in the Assembly elections, the Congress now appears determined to put up a strong show.

Karnataka is the most important state for the BJP in south India as it's only here that it had held power in the past. 'Its alliance partner JD(S) is fighting to remain politically relevant, after the Assembly poll drubbing,' a political analyst said.

The Old Mysore region is the Vokkaliga heartland and parts of it have been the traditional bastion of the JDS.  However, the current elections are a battle for survival for JDS.

According to Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena, 1.4 lakh polling officials will be on duty for the first phase.

Besides them, 5,000 micro-observers, 50,000 civil police personnel, 65 companies of Central Parliamentary Force and State Armed Police force of other States will also be deployed for security.

All the 2,829 polling stations of Bangalore Rural parliamentary constituency will be webcast, Meena said.

'This is as per the request of our returning officers and observers; so we have given more than double the Central parliamentary force for Bangalore Rural constituency. Seven companies of Central paramilitary forces have been inducted at the constituency since April 22,' he told reporters on Wednesday.

In fact, out of the total 30,602 polling stations in the first phase, 19,701 will be webcast, and 1,370 covered via CCTVs, he said.

Chikkaballapur has a maximum number of 29 candidates, followed by 24 in Bangalore Central, and Dakshina Kannada has the least number - nine.

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy from Mandya, his brother-in-law and noted cardiologist C N Manjunath from Bangalore Rural on a BJP ticket, erstwhile Mysuru royal family scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysore, also from the BJP, and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's brother and MP D K Suresh of Congress from Bangalore Rural, are among the prominent candidates in the fray in the first phase.

Also in the fray are BJP MP Tejasvi Surya from Bangalore South against Minister Ramalinga Reddy's daughter Sowmya Reddy of Congress, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on BJP ticket from Bangalore North against former IIM Bangalore professor M V Rajeev Gowda of Congress.

The Congress' performance in the elections, especially in the first phase which covers almost all Vokkaliga-dominated districts, is being seen as a big test of sorts for its state unit chief Shivakumar, who has made no secret of his ambition to become chief minister, amid speculations of change in guard mid-way of the Assembly term.

Stakes are also high for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, as victory in particular in his home turf—Mysore and Chamarajanagar—is seen as key for strengthening hands, analysts say.

For the JD(S) and its state chief Kumaraswamy, the task is cut out -- to prove that the regional party is still a force to reckon with, particularly in the Vokkaliga dominated Old Mysuru or South Karnataka region.

Both Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy are Vokkaligas, and are engaged in a fierce turf war to consolidate their clout over the dominant community.

It is also seen as a kind of a 'litmus test' for state BJP president B Y Vijayendra, who has the onerous task of helping the party retain its supremacy in the Lok Sabha elections.

Ensuring a BJP sweep is paramount for the son of veteran leader B S Yediyurappa, to consolidate his position and silence critics who have questioned his selection for the post, overlooking seniors and seasoned hands.

The ruling Congress is mostly banking on the implementation of its populist five guarantee schemes. The BJP and JD(S) seem to be leveraging the 'Modi factor' to the hilt.

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