Figures from the Ministry of Interior (MoH) reveals that more than 40,000 expatriates were deported from the country in 2019.
Of the total deportees, 13,000 were women and 27,000 men, and together they were from 20 different nationalities. Indians topped the list of deportees, followed by Bangladeshis and Egyptians.
Most of the expatriates expelled were for violating residence laws, engaging in criminal activity or for committing misdemeanors. While the General Administration for Investigation of Residence Affairs deported 17,000 people, the remaining 23,000 were deported from the government’s deportation center.
Since November 2019, the authorities have implemented a new procedure for the deportation process, with anyone expelled from the country having to go through the deportation center where their fingerprints and other biometric data are recorded to prevent them from re-entering the country.