In Saudi Arabia, police officials arrested some 20,400 foreign nationals during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan for staying illegally in the kingdom, a security official was quoted as saying Sunday.
Col. Fahd al-Wathainani, head of the Expatriates Department in the port city of Jeddah, told Al-Iqtisadia daily the arrests were carried out in the framework of a crackdown on illegal residents in Mecca. The arrests took place between early November and early December.
All those arrested were Asians and Africans who had entered Saudi Arabia to perform umrah(minor pilgrimage)and failed to leave. Over 19,700 of those arrested were deported to their home countries. (Albawaba.com)
