About 20,000 absconding reports were filed against expatriates in 2018. According to Deputy Director General for Manpower Protection Affairs at Public Authority for Manpower Abdullah Al-Mutawtah, more than 16,626 manpower complaints were concerning residency transfers or end-of-service indemnities.

Al-Mutawteh explained that PAM has established a new integrated automated system for the Labor Relations Department. One of the characteristics of this system is that it enables the sponsors to report an absconding employee electronically.

The procedures adopted by PAM contribute to reducing the number of malicious or fake reports. If the absconding report was filed maliciously, the employer is summoned and questioned.