Thousands of undocumented expatriate citizens from various countries, including Pakistan, living illegally in Saudi Arabia were granted a four-month amnesty offer by the authorities in an attempt to legalise their return.
According to Saudi Gazette, there are as many as 75,000 thousand expat Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia who were in need of the amnesty were crowded outside the deportation centres. They were lined up in huge numbers at expatriate affairs departments across Saudi Arabia on Monday.
These expat citizens have applied for proper travel documents to return to their country. Citizens from countries like Yemen, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Bangladesh, India, and others have similar cases.
As compared to other countries, Pakistan has one of the highest numbers of undocumented residents living in Saudi Arabia. Bangladesh has at least 50,000 undocumented residents while 31,000 Indians are expected to return to their homeland with the amnesty scheme.