Oman arrests more than 2,500 illegal workers

Oman arrested 2,550 illegal immigrants in the first eight months of the year, according to reports.

Times of Oman cited Royal Oman Police as confirming the detentions. A further 3,141 people in the country illegally were deported during the same period.

Read: Royal Oman Police arrest nearly 400 labour law violators

“These illegal immigrants are competing illegally for employment, while some may intimidate people and abuse their property,” Royal Oman Police director of anti-infiltration, lieutenant colonel Ahmed Al Sarki, was quoted as saying.

“The campaigns carried out by the ROP in cooperation with the Ministry of Manpower have contributed to a clamp down of large numbers of violators of the labour and residence laws, and the community’s awareness of the risks of harbouring infiltrators has led to the arrest of many of them.”

Oman is currently banning the recruitment of foreigners in a number of sectors to boost the employment of citizens.

Private sector firms are unable to hire foreign staff in more than 90 roles until early next year.

Read: Oman extends ban on hiring foreigners in 10 sectors, unveils new investment visa