ISLAMABAD: Saudi authorities have covered special flights back home for nearly 2,000 overstaying Pakistanis in the past two weeks, a senior Pakistani diplomat said on Sunday.

The Pakistani nationals were awaiting deportation over expired visas and stay permits. 

"Saudi deportation authorities arranged their tickets on Saudi airlines and repatriate them to Pakistan without any charges," Muhammad Zeeshan Ahmed, Pakistan’s deputy head of mission in Riyadh, told Arab News.

“As of today, from November 20 till December 5, in these 15 days, 1,986 Pakistanis have been repatriated back to the country on 14 special flights of Saudi airlines,” he said.

"These people were arrested by Saudi authorities in their annual drive against those who were working illegally in the kingdom. This is an annual drive against those workers who have status of absconder from sponsor or staying in the kingdom on expired visas," he said.

Ahmed added that embassy officials regularly visit deportation centers to collect personal data to issue travel documents for such persons.

“They provide us their available documents with pictures. The embassy then verifies their identity and issue emergency travel documents to those who did not have passports.”

The number of Pakistanis awaiting return at deportation centers was high, Ahmed said, as many flights were suspended over earlier coronavirus travel restrictions.

“There were more than 2,500 Pakistanis who were awaiting repatriation from Riyadh deportation center,” he said, adding that another 600 people are expected to return to their homeland in the coming days.

Saudi Arabia is home to about 2.6 million Pakistani expats who constitute a vital source of foreign remittances for their country.