Saudi Arabia Arrests Over 16,150 Last Week in Residency and Labour Operations
Saudi Arabia arrested more than 16,150 people in the past week as it looks to stop residency, labour and security breaches.
The inspection campaigns carried out in all regions of the Kingdom from May 22 to May 28, 2024, to check compliance with residency, work and border security regulations, saw 16,161 violations recorded, including
- 10,575 of residency
- 3,726 of border security
- 1,860 of labour laws
Some 967 individuals attempted to cross the border into the Kingdom illegally, of whom 39 percent were Yemenis, 57 percent were Ethiopians, and 4 percent were of other nationalities.
22 people were arrested for attempting to illegally leave the Kingdom.
7 people involved in transporting, sheltering, or employing violators were arrested.
A total of 37,668 expatriates (36,339 men and 1,269 women) are currently undergoing procedures for enforcing regulations.
Among the people detained for violating laws, 29,823 were instructed to contact their countries’ embassies or consulates to obtain proper documentation for travel, 2,064 were told to complete booking arrangements for their departure, and 13,252 were repatriated.
The Ministry of Interior has warned that any person who facilitates the illegal entry of individuals into Saudi Arabia, transports them on its territory, provides them shelter, or provides any other assistance or service may be penalized with up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to SR1 million ($267,000), and that the vehicles used for transport or houses used for shelter may be impounded.
The ministry stressed that such acts are major crimes that warrant arrest. It also urges people to report any violations by calling 911 in the Makkah, Riyadh, and Eastern regions, and 999 and 996 in the rest of the Kingdom.
