Saudi deports
 370,000 expat workers in
five months

Saudi Arabia says it has deported 370,000 foreign migrant workers from the kingdom over the past five months.

The Interior Ministry says the foreigners, who are from different countries around the world, had been residing in the country illegally and violated labour laws.

Thursday’s statement by the ministry says the kingdom is currently holding another 18,000 migrant workers in detention centres.

The deportations began in November as part of a nationwide campaign targeting many of the kingdom’s 9 million migrant labourers after years of lax law enforcement.

Saudi authorities say sending out foreigners will open jobs for the kingdom’s citizens.