Saudi Arabia's interior ministry issued its last warning to Saudis employing expatriates who lack the proper labor documents, reported Gulf News, quoting a statement.
According to the statement, business owners have until September 1st to regulate the status of the expatriate employees or risk strict punishment which can involve closing down the business, a three months imprisonment and a fine of up to 50,000 riyals ($13,500).
The business owner can also be banned from inviting expatriate workers under his sponsorship, the statement added.
The new warning came amid the government's campaign to rid the country of excess or illegal foreign workers as a step to fight unemployment among Saudis -estimated at 27 per cent, said the paper.
In July, the government announced the end of an amnesty for illegal expatriates who are mainly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Arabs from Egypt and Sudan.
Over 350,000 have left the country under the May 12th to July 2nd amnesty period and more than 160,000 of those who had left were unemployed, said the paper - Albawaba.com
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