ARAB NEWS: SEPT. 3, 2013 Another roadblock hits exiting illegals Foreign missions in Jeddah have expressed disappointment over the refusal of government authorities to issue exit permits for expatriates who do not present original copies of their residency permits. “Immigration officials were accepting cases without iqamas, but now, they are refusing to consider the application for exit without a resident certificate,” an Asian diplomat in Jeddah told Arab News. “The number registered in the iqama should be sufficient to access the personal details of the expatriate.” Arab News learned that the Indonesian, Egyptian, Sudanese, Pakistani and Sri Lankan Consulates have been told to bring original iqamas to support exit applications during the last three days. Sources said that consulates in Jeddah are teaming up to appeal to higher authorities to consider accepting exit applications without original copies of iqamas, as they had done in the past. “We are fighting hard to meet the deadline and these types of obstacles are counterproductive,” said an official from a labor-exporting country, pointing out that the mission cannot expect such legal documentation from illegals. “This refusal has created panic among the mission’s officials, who are keen on processing the documents of illegal stayers through the immigration department in Jeddah.” A diplomat from a mission in Riyadh told Arab News that there is no such rule in place in the capital. “Authorities in the capital are more flexible in accommodating various genuine requests from missions to help people to get their final exit,” he said, adding that even copies of residency permits are accepted for issuing exit passes. Personal inquiries can be addressed to the Customer Service Center on toll-free number 920 001 173.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Sep 2013 05:20:23 +0000
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