JEDDAH, 25 November 2006 — More than 10,000 Umrah pilgrims who had overstayed their visas were arrested by the Passport Department in Makkah in the last lunar month of Shawwal, which ended a couple of days ago, a source of the department told Arab News yesterday. They were identified at various safe homes in and around the holy city.

The Ministry of Haj reports that so far this year about 200,000 Umrah pilgrims have not left their Kingdom after their visas expired. “The campaign found two types of overstayers: one who is waiting to perform the upcoming Haj even though their pilgrimage visas have expired, and the other intending to remain in the Kingdom to work illegally,” said Capt. Mansour Al-Otaiby, director of the local Passport Department in Makkah.

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