Saudi expats can obtain exemption from deportation in 2 cases

Riyadh: An expatriate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who has been sentenced to imprisonment and deportation for less than three months, can obtain an exemption from deportation even if a Saudi court issues a ruling to deport him, under two cases, local media reported.

According to the Arabic daily Okaz, the legal expert, Counselor Abdulaziz Al-Qahtani, indicated that deportation is a punishment imposed in accordance with international laws prevailing in various countries, and deportation from the Kingdom means the expulsion of non-Saudis from its lands.

Two types of deportation punishment

• Judicial deportation is issued by a judicial court, and the expatriate has the right to appeal the ruling by going to the Court of Appeal.

• The administrative deportation in terms of the implementation of a previous ministerial decision, which is the deportation of the expatriate when punishing him for major crimes, according to Article 112 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and requires imprisonment of three months or more.

Cases of exemption from deportation

• If the deportee is the son of a Saudi woman or the husband of a Saudi woman, he can be exempted from deportation after taking a pledge from him, provided that his conviction is not based on Article 112 of the Code of Criminal Procedures, which stipulates a prison sentence of more than three months.

• An expatriate can be exempted from deportation if he is sentenced to less than three months in prison and has no criminal records. The pledge is taken from him, and in the case of repetition of the crime, it is removed.

In both cases, the expatriate can appeal against the deportation decision according to the provisions of the law or submit a request for exemption from deportation according to the normal procedure.