570,000 illegal workers left Saudi under amnesty, 12,000 returned legally

Some 572,488 expatriates have benefited from an amnesty issued by the Saudi government to allow illegal migrants to leave the country without penalty, the government revealed.

The “A Nation without Violators” campaign saw 12,000 expats return to the kingdom legally, the General Directorate of Passports said.

Under the amnesty, illegal expats were allowed to leave the country on their own and at their own expense. They have been exempt from having their fingerprints taken, as is customary for those deported after being found in the country illegally, and fines and penalties normally imposed on such cases have been waived. They are also permitted to legally return to Saudi Arabia.

Illegal workers have until Monday to leave the Kingdom under the amnesty or risk fines, deportation and a ban from returning to Saudi Arabia.

Read: 670,000 expats to leave Saudi Arabia in 3 years