RIYADH, Aug 14: Saudi Arabia has been planning a campaign to trace and deport illegal immigrants residing in the Makkah region.

Fifteen government departments were being involved for the year-long campaign, a report in the Saudi daily Okaz said.

A directive to this effect had been issued by the new Makkah Emir Prince Khaled al-Faisal. The social committee of the Makkah regional council had been asked to lay down a mechanism for the campaign. According to reports, at least two million illegal foreigners, including a large number of Pakistani nationals reside in Makkah. Most of them had entered the kingdom on Umra visas and then overstayed. Officials said the illegal immigrants included Africans, Pakistanis, Burmese, Bangladeshis, Afghanis and Indonesians.

The social committee claimed that it had full background information on those who had overstayed, which would enable it to undertake such a campaign. We know exactly where they work and how many they are, Saleh Ali Al-Turki, chairman of the committee told Okaz.

About the seemingly apathetic stance of the concerned embassies and consulates of the overstaying foreigners, Al-Turki said: “there won’t be any compromises”.

Makkah is also home to a large number of undocumented Africans who have formed their own colonies in mountainous and unapproachable areas of the valley. Many newspapers reports claimed that these areas were a hub of all sorts of illegal and unsocial activities.

Statistics indicate that there is an illegal resident for every Saudi and legal resident in Makkah region.

In order to improve the situation, Saudi authorities have been offering amnesty to the illegal residents. A recent two-month amnesty period expired on June 1.