Omani police have recently arrested another 107 illegal immigrants, mostly from neighboring countries, the Oman Times reported Wednesday, August 22. The police said the immigrants were caught in different areas of Oman over the past week after tip-offs from local people.
Those arrested were 54 Pakistanis, 32 Iranians, seven Yemenis, six Afghans, five Somalis, two Bangladeshis and one Ethiopian, the police said, urging citizens to continue to report illegal immigrants.
Oman has extended until October an amnesty allowing overstayers to come forward and leave the sultanate without paying hefty fines. More than 12,000 illegal expatriate workers have so far taken advantage of the initiative.
The latest amnesty comes amid a government campaign to employ Omanis and cut reliance on imported labor. A target date of 2003 has been set to have all government posts filled by Omanis. According to official figures, foreigners account for a quarter of the sultanate's population. (AFP, Muscat)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
