In a new step to strengthen compliance with residency and labor regulations, Saudi Arabia's Public Security Directorate announced strict penalties for any employer who fails to report the departure of their sponsored workers before the expiry of their entry visas. These measures are part of the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to regulate the labor market and ensure the safety and security of society.
Details of the announced penalties
Public Security clarified that the penalties to be applied to violators are severe to ensure deterrence and full compliance with regulations. These penalties include the following:
- A financial penalty of up to 50,000 Saudi Riyals is imposed on the employer who is proven to have been negligent or late in reporting.
- Imprisonment: It lasts up to six months, and it is a punishment intended to emphasize the seriousness of the violation and its legal consequences.
- Deportation: This penalty is applied if the offending employer is a foreigner (non-Saudi), as he is deported from the Kingdom after the other penalties have been carried out and he is prevented from returning.
General context: Regulating the labor market within the framework of Vision 2030
These new legislations fall within the broader context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to regulate the labor market and address the phenomenon of illegal workers, which is an essential part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives. Since the launch of the Vision, the government has worked on launching several initiatives and campaigns, such as the “A Nation Without Violators” campaign, which aimed to regularize the status of illegal residents and encourage them to leave or correct their status, while imposing strict penalties on those who employ or shelter them.
The importance of the procedures and their expected impact
The importance of these measures lies in strengthening the responsibility of the employer (sponsor), whether an individual or an institution, and emphasizing that their role is not limited to bringing in the worker or visitor, but extends to monitoring their legal status and ensuring their departure upon completion of the purpose of their visit. These decisions are expected to have several positive impacts
- At the local level, these penalties will help curb the phenomenon of expatriates remaining in the Kingdom after their visas expire, thus reducing the number of undocumented workers and contributing to enhanced social and economic security. They also protect employers from legal repercussions for violations committed by their sponsored workers.
- At the regional and international levels, this step reflects the Kingdom's commitment to implementing international standards in managing expatriate affairs and demonstrates its seriousness in combating illegal residency and human trafficking. This, in turn, enhances the Kingdom's reputation as a country that respects the rule of law and provides an organized and safe working environment for both investors and legal workers.
In conclusion, this decision represents a clear message from the Saudi authorities that the era of leniency towards violations of residency and labor regulations has ended, and that compliance with the laws is the only way to ensure a safe and stable environment for all residents of the Kingdom, both citizens and expatriates.
